Kennett backs gay marriage
Former Victorian Liberal premier and beyondblue chair Jeff Kennett says he is now in favour of gay marriage.
Speaking to broadcaster Neil Mitchell on radio station 3AW this morning, Kennett said he had “learnt a lot”.
“To me the most important thing in a person’s life is that they enjoy life,” he said.
“As long as you don’t offend me, or break a law against me, why should I allow sexuality to actually prevent you from living your life as you want to.
“I’m not opposed to it. I’m in favour of it.”
Kennett has been criticised in the past for his stance on LGBTI issues. Last year he caused a furore when he stated children are better off with opposite-sex parents.
The former Hawthorn Football Club president appears to have softened his stance, however, speaking out about potential depression in same-sex attracted men in football.
He admitted he’d made “a big step” to support same-sex marriage.
“I’ve seen so many members of the gay community who are depressed, with a high suicide rate, because they deal with so much discrimination,” he said.
“It’s quite a big step for me to have made over where I was 30 years ago.”
However, during the on-air discussion, Kennett said his preferred model for a family was still for a child to have a mother and a father.
“I know in many gay relationships children will be well looked after, as much as they would [with] heterosexual [parents],” he said.
“For two adults to exercise the choice to marry, that is fine … when you bring children into a relationship, my preferred position is still for a couple which is male and female, but that does not say that I’m opposed to gay marriage.”
Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said Kennett is an example of the many Australians who are changing their views on the issue.
“Like many other Australians, Jeff Kennett has been on a journey that involves talking to same-sex couples about their lives and reflecting about the issue,” Greenwich said.
“His destination, like the destination of most Australians, is an open heart and mind in support of equality.”
Funny how the real conservatives are so much in favour of this push…makes one think that the institution is not such a progressive one at all let alone the desire to join it.
Make way in your Museum Dave for Defense Minister Steven Smith, The Queensland National Party, Bob Katter and Campbell Newman.
We can call it the Brown Paper Bag Museum.
Gillard and Abbott scream Gay Panic when the words homosexual and Marriage appear together.
Kennett is a former Premier, and understands more than most, a Civil Union Scheme cannot give equal access to the 1084 laws that mention the Marriage Act in Australia.
People against using the word Marriage, like the Prime Minister and Tony Abbott, would never allow a Civil Union Scheme to have any reference to the Marriage Act, as they are fundamentally opposed to using the word Marriage, in any legislation where same-sex couples are involved.
It is simply not possible to spend years in parliament, sending 1084 laws to the lower house for change, and then to the upper house – it is much easier to dump Gillard and Abbott, and put them in a Museum proudly next to the White Australia Policy.