Bell tolls for Lobby’s wedding jitters

More than two years after the federal marriage debate split the community, the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby has thrown its support behind equal marriage rights.

Releasing the results of its community consultation survey of more than 1,300 respondents across Sydney and regional NSW, the Lobby found 86.3 percent were in favour of same-sex marriage.

Speaking at the launch of the All Love Is Equal report, former Family Court chief justice Alastair Nicholson called for gay and lesbian people to have the same rights and responsibilities as other Australians.

Without sensible legislative reforms, the gay and lesbian community will always be second best.

The legal reforms recommended by the Lobby include marriage and civil union options for same-sex couples, both with the same legal rights and responsibilities as heterosexual marriage.

Nicholson said the arguments behind the recommendations were hard to dispute.

But on the question of strategy he expressed disappointment with the number of respondents dispirited about the prospects of achieving equality and instead opting for second best on the basis of that which is most likely to be achieved.

The second best option will only prolong discrimination, Nicholson said. Civil unions should be only part of the package.

Activist Rodney Croome called the multi-option recommendation a triumph of Australian sensibility over the either/or approach seen in North America.

Given all possible options for their own committed relationships, the survey found 42 percent of respondents would choose to get married, while 33 percent would prefer a civil union.

The Lobby further recommended that same-sex de facto relationships should be treated the same as their heterosexual counterparts under federal law.

This would include an amendment to the Social Security Act seen to currently benefit same-sex couples by not recognising them.

In 2004 the Lobby downplayed the effect of the Marriage Amendment Act banning same-sex marriage, in favour of winning support from parts of the ALP on other legislative reforms.

Explaining the delayed response to the issue, the Lobby’s David Scamell said the report was two years in the making due to the time acquiring funding and conducting consultations.

Scamell said the time was right -“ as this year was an election year -“ for a campaign for the recognition of same-sex relationships.

The lobbyist said he believed all the recommendations would be achievable in time.

If you look back on the reports done by the Lobby in the past, such as the report on de facto relationships that came out in 93, that led to reforms in 99.

These reforms are not going to take place next week, Scamell said. But it will set in motion a campaign for same-sex relationship recognition by highlighting the fact that same-sex couples want a number of different options.

Nicholson also used the report launch to decry the current ban on same-sex marriage.

The protagonists for discrimination never stop to think that gay and lesbian people are part of families, he said.

It’s an even worse indictment that outdated religious views are given credence by both the conservative government and the so-called progressive opposition who signed off on one of the most discriminatory pieces of legislation passed by the Australian government in modern times.

NSW Labor MLC Penny Sharpe said the report was an important piece of research that reflects the need for relationship recognition at the federal level.

Federal Labor is currently doing its own consultation in relationship recognition and this report will assist with that.