Marriage campaign heats up

Marriage campaign heats up

The campaign for marriage equality has reheated with Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s bill back in the Senate and Australian Marriage Equality encouraging high-profile Australians to write to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott to ask for a conscience vote.

Senator Hanson-Young told Sydney Star Observer there was no timeframe for when the bill might come to a vote, which left time to build a strong campaign.

“The bill has been re-introduced, as promised, and now it will sit ready to be debated and voted on in the Senate while the campaign for a conscience vote builds momentum,” Hanson-Young said.

An online petition pushing for a conscience vote on Hanson-Young’s Greens party web page had already gathered close to 7000 signatures in a matter of days.

“I encourage everyone who supports marriage equality to sign the petition on my website, and I thank the members of the public who have already done so,” Hanson-Young said.

“It is also critical that members of the public make their feelings known about the need for reform, by contacting their local MPs and senators to call for a conscience vote.

“This campaign will not succeed overnight, but I believe that a consistent message sent from inside and outside Parliament will lead to all politicians being able to speak freely and vote fairly. That is the least that our democracy deserves.”

Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said his organisation would fight a hard campaign for a conscience vote alongside the Greens.

“The immediate battle for us is quite clear and quite simple — it is to do whatever we can to encourage a conscience vote,” Greenwich said.

“The day the bill was introduced into Parliament we worked with [Sydney Lord Mayor] Clover Moore’s office for her to send a letter of support for a conscience vote to Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard.

“We’ll be working with other prominent Australians as well to do that and we’ll also be facilitating every Australian in being able to put their support behind a conscience vote on marriage equality.

“Once we have a conscience vote we’ll have an open and honest debate in our Parliament on same-sex marriage which is something we haven’t had before.”

Greenwich was also buoyed by two of the new MPs in the House of Representatives listing same-sex marriage as a priority in their inaugural speeches.

Greenwich noted that both the Greens’ Adam Bandt and independent Andrew Wilkie had been elected in electorates where a clear majority of voters had supported pro-marriage equality candidates.

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24 responses to “Marriage campaign heats up”

  1. oldskool74

    I would not expect you to marry your sister or your mother or your father. Why would you think I want to? That is not what this about. The marriage act says a union between a man and woman. It does not say a union of a sister and a father.

    Dave

  2. P.s all the same arguments apply to me if wanted to marry my sister. As two consenting and contributing adults the law goes one step further and prohibits our relationship not to mention deny our marriage right?

  3. well I guess the only point i haven’t mentioned is the marxist intent of the Greens. I think that the Greens are trying to appease as many groups as they possibly can in order to promote their Marxist agenda- one need only look at their to know their economic policies alone would bankrupt our country if ever implemented.

  4. Oldskool74-

    Just something I forget to mention that is another important point.

    We allow child killers, the man who rapes your wife and burns your family alive, and serial killers to have a Civil Marriage even if they do not repent and express from jail they would do it all again. Someone can put a bomb on a plane and still be more valued then I am. Indeed Terrorist have great rights then I do. The only criteria for Marriage for such people are they are not homosexual and not already married. I do not think I am as bad as such people but they have privileges I cannot enjoy simply because of my sexuality. Some in society treat these people better me. I am can be of a different religion that is anti Christian and I can still get married just as long as I am not homosexual.

    Now my partner has served a community saving lives and I have done welfare work for many years with people who happen to be homeless. I think we should not be punished for being good responsible people who contribute to society. If Adolf Hitler lived he would have been able to get married but I cannot in Australia. Adolf Hitler is more valued then people who are homosexual.

    How could I possibly see anything but discrimination and hate when such monsters of civilization are afforded greater respect then I am? For saying I should have fewer rights then such people tells me what? I am clearly not as valued as their contribution to society. No matter what the motive of the discrimination the outcome is the same to me, hate.

    Cheers,

    Dave

  5. oldskool74

    I to have enjoyed our conversation even though it was off to a rough start by both of us. I think we can agree on somethings that we thought we might not. I tend to judge an individual on how they act. I have heard some really nasty statements from Christian leaders but I know the vast majority of Christians are not like the minority of leaders who disappoint us all from time to time.

    You might note that Senator Penny Wong attends her local Uniting Church in Adelaide on a regular basis. Her take on the Bible is she does not support Same-Sex Marriage either even though she is a lesbian. I think we can agree to disagree on Same-Sex Marriage. Respect has to work both ways in my view. I would respect your marriage and would expect you to do the same if I were married. I would not expect to treat you differently or seek to have your marriage stopped. With the best of intentions the worst of decisions have been made. From some Christians seeking to stop inter-racial marriage, to the killing of so many by the Nazis with the backing of many Catholic Bishops. The Bible was read by some to support all this. At the time it seemed logical and could be justified to some. Some of us though always new better. I understand why you feel that way about Same-Sex Marriage, I just struggle with being the victim of your take on the Bible.

    All the best,

    Dave

  6. David
    You put forward a very logical point of view. You have taught me that I should not throw around generalizations of the Gay community that do not necessarily apply. i hope that i have shown you that in many cases such as myself that hate is not the motivating factor in my opposition.

    For what is is worth, I have enjoyed our conversation and wish you all the best

  7. oldskool74.

    I think you should have said my reading of the Bible is clear to me and I do not support Same-Sex marriage, I think that would have been a better approach then to talk promiscuity and marriage are a toxic combination if gays have marriage. The problem is often people of a certain Christian faith do not state simply it is due to their reading of the Bible, but say all sorts of horrible untruths.

    I can understand your religious views but cannot understand why you would oppose a Civil Marriage that Buddhist , atheist and more than a million Australians have who are not Christian have had. We have laws now the recognise Same-Sex couples who were married overseas. I think this is you imposing your own personal readings of the Bible onto others. Do I have a right not to follow them?

    I am a gay man who is proud of the contribution that Gay and lesbian people made to our history. From Michelangelo and his great artwork to Alan Turing who broke the Enigma Code that changed the course of the Second World War and stopped Australians speaking Japanese. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing

    We will have Same-Sex Marriage at some point. In the meantime my plan is to go on a holiday to another country, get married, and come back a married couple. We live in a rural area and the area will miss out on a doctor now my partner and I have decided to move to Tasmania. The town we live in searched for years for doctors and we were the only couple willing for a while to live there. I guess this is just one in many examples of how the discrimination not only affects individuals, but the entire community.

  8. oldskool74, respectfully, leave your religion out of the marriage debate.

    In this country, as in many others, marriage is a secular activity administered by the government; and has nothing to do with religion. The vast majority of marriages (approx 70% in 2009) occur with no religious involvement whatsoever, and there is no legal obligation for any church to officiate.

    Ultimately you are arguing that one minority (homosexuals) should not be permitted to marry because it goes against the beliefs of another minority (fundamentalist religious types). If you seriously believe that is a justifiable position to take, then do you also support the abolition of eating pork and drinking of alcohol; for they too are activities that go against minority religious beliefs?

    I suspect not, rather you would argue how dare one particular religion impose restrictions on your life when you don’t follow that religion.

    Same-sex marriage is inevitable in this country, and its occurence will not in any way be detrimental to society. Whilst your particular religious beliefs may make you oppose it, you will ultimately have to accept it; just as we have to accept that there are some in society who like to preach divisiveness and hatred against those who may be different.

  9. I agree with you that many minority groups have historically been treated in an horrendous manner and oft by those who should know better. Any reading of the New Testament would leave no one in doubt that respect for all and charity is paramount to any good Christian. I respectfully accept your views on this issue and can 100% promise that I harbor no hate toward you.

    I paid interest to the California situation and saw initially that the proposal for Gay marriage was seen as a walk over until religious groups started opposing Gay marriage and this led to a defeat of Gay marriage much to Arnie’s dismay.I think that the initial polls in favor of Gay marriage which then turned against in a very short period of time indicate that many feel sympathy to the plight of Gays but just can bring themselves to support a violation of the laws of God. I don’t believe that this is a reflection of hate but a fear of God which in many is very sincere and genuine.

    “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” (S. G. Fined for preaching in public)

    God bless

  10. Oldskool74-

    We know from polls politicians use that a majority of Australians support Same-Sex Marriage. As a majority of Australians are also Christians I can conclude that not all Christians appose Same-Sex Marriage. To say it is not hate to appose a right to have a loving relationship recognised is a matter of perspective. If you are the victim of someone who seeks to restrict your rights to participate in an important institution of society then you will feel that hate no matter what the motivation of the hater. Same-Sex Marriage has a long history even in the early Christian Church.

    The polls show a majority of Australian people are in favour of Same-Sex Marriage. Galaxy Research found females (68 per cent) were more likely to support gay marriage than males (53 per cent), while Australians aged 16 to 24 (74 per cent) were more likely to agree than those aged 25 to 34 (71 per cent), 35-49 (68 per cent) or 50 and over (45 per cent).

    Same-Sex Marriage has a very long history. A law in the Theodosian Code (C. Th.9.7.3) was issued in 342 AD by the Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans. This law prohibited same-sex marriage in ancient Rome and ordered that those who were so married were to be executed. This was a Christian person who believed in killing people much like the Nazi Catholic Bishops. Many societies had Same-Sex Marriage from Ancient China to PreModern Europe.

    “101 Reverends” marched in Mardi Gras. Some were Baptist Ministers, Catholic Priest, and even nuns. The message was that wrong interpretations of the Bible are being used to deny rights to people in the community and that is just wrong without excuse. Arch Bishop and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu supports Same-Sex Marriage as do many theologians.

    As for your abortion position I agree with you but others may not. Just like heterosexual people gay and lesbian people have the same different views on all sorts of things. I believe in abortion only if the mother’s life is at high risk.

    Now not all Christians support Same-Sex Marriage as even not all Gay people do, but there are clearly many who do. What if it Catholics were denied marriage? Intolerance has no boundaries. Not everyone is Christian, not everyone wants to follow a Christian way of life, but do they have a right not to? Does your right to be a Christian mean that I have follow your version of Christianity? The Bible was used to kill 5million people who were Jewish and 50,000 people who were homosexual in the death camps. Where does intolerance take society? What sub cultures does it create? It could be said you have a sub culture that is not mainstream. Not valuing people who might be different such as Buddhist or Jewish people or gay people or lesbian or Christian people breeds hate. That is the only path of intolerance. When you are the victim of intolerance you feel that hate, you feel excluded. It does not benefit our social capital at all. We all lose.

  11. David-
    i respect your opinion here and you put forward a very valid argument. i can assure that hate has nothing to do with an objection to Gay marriage. If you would consider the genuine belief of those who believe in an pre life and an afterlife- these who believe such mostly object to abortion. These “religious folk” object to abortion not to make life miserable for the women who abort their children but they have a genuine concern for humanity. Their beliefs motivate their objection to abortion.

    The same genuine concern and fear of God can be said for many who are opposed to Gay marriage. It is not a hate that drives their objection but a genuine fear that if they do not object to what they view as a violation of God’s ordination of Marriage as between one Man and one Woman that society is on a slippery path in violation of the commandments of God.

    As for brothels-i think i speak for most in society by stating that those who frequent brothels are an affront to decency.

    I can assure that neither hate nor small mindedness have anything to do with an objection from many religious folk to Gay marriage. Often this genuine objection is read as hate when it is not in the least part hate.

    all the best

  12. Oldskool74

    You have given disgusting statements about our community and as I am part of that community then I will get offended. I had dinner with a doctor who works at a ski resort on the weekend and the biggest illness is STD’s from heterosexual people. I do not call on heterosexual people not to be married. I lived near brothels and saw many men using them but I do not call on heterosexual people people not to be married. I do not label them all as some sort of sluts.

    Get out into the real world a bit and you will find the “Gay Community” is made up of people like yourself all over Australia. Some vote Liberal, some Labor, some Green. Some do not vote. Some stay with there partner all there life some do not. Some eat fish some do not. Some do not even like the word “Gay Community” and never go to Mardi Gras or gay venues. Some want Same-Sex Marriage and some do not. The only thing that separates them from people who are heterosexual is they have to put up with discrimination and some like me get bloody angry when they hear untruths. Having had my first great love bashed to death because of people who say things that are not true, I get bloody angry when I hear bullshit.

    I love my partner and look forward to growing very old together. I know many people in the same situation. Marriage can strengthen a relationship and that is a good thing for the community. It is not for everyone. But it is what my partner and I want. It is what our families want. It is the highest recognition by government of our relationship when we seek to access government services. I have known some couples that have been together for over 40 years that have been separated in the final years of life due to the discrimination of there relationship.

    Hate, vilification, discrimination, does not help society. It alienates people into sub cultures. It says you are not part of the mainstream so some people do not act as part of the mainstream. An inclusive society has everything to gain. Building an intolerant society means we all lose. We all pay for this in different ways. We are all people first deserving of every opportunity to participate in society regardless of sexuality. We are after all on one small planet together in a vast universe.

  13. Dave- i have never commented on your personal circumstances and am happy that you have a great relationship. I, as you would know am referring to the large number of Gays that live very promiscuous lifestyles and then argue for same sex marriage with all their indignation. How can the non-Gay community take demands of same sex marriage seriously with so many in the Gay community living such promiscuous lives that show no commitment? The two don’t mix- you know the facts as well as I do, If I were you I’d be more concerned about these issues in the greater Gay community. Where is the indignation with those who display their in your face disrespect for monogamy?

  14. oldskool- Ring lifeline and get over your bullshit.

    0ldskool74 giving me a lecture on spelling? Well that says a lot more about oldskool74. Lifeline can help. You are ignorant oldskool74. What would you know about my relationship? You’re a narcissist to write into here saying you know about me when we clearly we have never met. Perhaps you are projecting your own sad life. I say it sad as why else would you say anything about my relationship or others that you do not know as though you know the gospel truth about it. It is pure fantasy to say you know my relationship of 9 years. One can only conclude you are a liar and full of bullshit.

    Ring Lifeline rather then spread your filth and hate.

  15. How about the Greens make a deal after July 1 2011 since they will CONTROL the Senate.

    The deal should be: “we will not pass your bills Julia Gillard – unless you pass our Marriage Equality Bill”!!!

    SIMPLE!

  16. David- “your” in this case is an abbreviation of you are and should therefore be spelled as you’re. what are you upset about? promiscuity and marriage are a toxic combination and don’t work as a combination or are you still claiming that gays make up 10% of the population. both my comments can be proved and your comments to me are very much ignorant and incorrect, much like your literacy skills.

  17. oldskool74- Your a bloody wanka and you clearly have no clue about anything. Go talk bullshit to your mirror. Your a sad case to come here with your filth. Ring Lifeline and they might care more.

  18. Lawyers already get to deal with issues arising out of the breakdown of same sex de facto relationships, such as parenting and property issues. They are all now dealt with in the same federal family law jurisdictions as marriage cases, applying exactly the same legal principles. The only difference in the treatment of same sex cases and marriage cases broadly speaking, is that same sex cannot marry. The politicians conveniently ignore the similarities between the two when pandering to the religious right. Just have the balls and do it, and let the nutters squeal. Society will not decay as a result.

  19. the only one who benefits from gay marriage is the divorce lawyers- surely the the green have more pressing issues with the environment rather than try to get the 2% gay vote

  20. This should be a conscience vote, because that is the only way there will be a representation anywhere near that of public opinion.

  21. She will eventually give in to letting them have a concience vote, she’s just scared of the outcome. Tony Abbott is another who probably wont let the Libs have a concience vote, and if they do the result will still be very tight.

  22. Oh, what are going to do about Julia ? What is up with that woman ? Who is she catering to regarding her anti marriage stance ? She isn’t going to allow her minions to conscious vote, either. Where do we go from here ?

  23. Why not allow Gays to marry? Marriage is a dying institution among straight people and most straight men that I know do not even want to cohabit with a woman.

  24. Wht not let gays marry? Marriage is a dying institution amoung straight people – most straight men do not even want to cohabbit with a woman any more. Besides, even strongly Catholic countries like Spain allow same sex marriages.