Election rhetoric sidelines community

The major political parties’ focus on traditional family values in the lead-up to the NSW state election risks sidelining the gay and lesbian community, activists say.

NSW premier Morris Iemma used an official Labor election campaign launch last weekend to stress his party’s commitment to hardworking families.

The state opposition has also made family-friendly policies a centrepiece of its campaign ahead of the 24 March election, with little reference to the gay community.

Activists say the major parties’ focus on family values with few acknowledgements of same-sex couples and their children is worrying.

I think it’s that -˜state-election-mode’ focus on some pretty conservative definitions of family, NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby spokesperson May Miller-Dawkins told Sydney Star Observer.

Miller-Dawkins said the narrow definition could mean delays for long-awaited gay law reform in such areas as adoption.

There is a concern that the continuation of the major reforms of the late 90s and early 00s won’t be followed through on, she said. As a community we need to keep the pressure up to make sure that stays on the agenda.

Rod Swift from national lobby group Australian Coalition for Equality said any focus on family values during an election campaign was a concern for the gay community.

Whichever election has family values in prominence, what it’s really code for is trying to recruit the votes of religious conservatives, Swift told the Star.

Political parties are willing to scramble towards the votes of religious conservatives, which make up a very small percentage of voters, probably less than or equal to the number of voters who are same-sex-attracted.

It’s disappointing to see when any party tries to scramble to be number one on family values, especially when those family values exclude certain types of families.

Swift called on the NSW Labor government to urgently introduce adoption reform to recognise gay and lesbian couples.

Nick Wood from NSW gay and lesbian political group Rainbow Labor said reform was still on the agenda.

It’s not a foregone conclusion that the voice of the gay and lesbian community will not be heard if people are out there fighting and saying what they think needs to happen, he said.

In the lead-up to the state election, the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and ACON are asking major political parties for their position on gay and lesbian issues.

The results are due to be posted on the Lobby and ACON websites by the middle of March.

We’re asking all the major parties for a party response -¦ and then people can follow up with individual candidates, Miller-Dawkins said.

We’re asking them questions about their commitment to law reform, particularly in NSW around family issues. That’s a real area of lack of movement.

If individual candidates are supportive I think we need to be working with them to try to bring about some changes in the broader party as well.

At Fair Day in Victoria Park last Sunday about 20 politicians from various parties helped the Lobby plant approximately 4,000 pink hearts to symbolise equality efforts.

You could definitely tell it was an election year. A lot of people turned out, Miller-Dawkins said.

This Friday 23 February the Lobby will launch a report from its 2006 community consultation on federal relationship recognition. During the consultation process the Lobby surveyed about 1,300 people across NSW.

Former Family Court of Australia chief justice Alastair Nicholson will launch the report at Slide on Oxford Street at noon. The Lobby hopes to use the report’s findings to push for national relationship reform.