Penny Wong labelled a hypocrite
Openly gay federal climate change minister Penny Wong is facing a barrage of community criticism tonight following her public declaration of support for the Gillard Government’s stand against gay marriage today.
On Channel Ten this morning Senator Wong said she respected Labor’s view of marriage as an institution between a man and a woman.
‘‘On the issue of marriage I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious, historical view around that which we have to respect”, she said.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson, Alex Greenwich, said Senator Wong’s rationale for opposing marriage equality is deeply hypocritical.
“It was once the ‘cultural, religious and historical view’ that women should not be members of parliament, Asians should not be allowed into Australia, and lesbians shouldn’t even exist, yet thankfully all that changed allowing people like Penny Wong to contribute to Australian society at the highest level.”
“By opposing marriage equality, Penny Wong has betrayed gay and lesbian Australians, and by using culture, religion and history to justify this opposition she has betrayed the principles of tolerance and inclusion that have given her immense opportunities as a lesbian woman of Chinese descent.”
“If culture, religion and history were sound reasons for upholding discrimination there would be no Senator Penny Wong.”
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Potts Point resident David Polson was more direct.
“Penny Wong is a disgrace. Yet another reason to vote for The Greens in the Senate,” he wrote to Sydney Star Observer after Wong’s comments.
Scott Hill from Paddington also wrote to the paper immediately after Wong’s comments.
“Your rationale that there are ‘cultural, religious, historical view(s) around that which we have to respect’ is simply not good enough.
“We ask you therefore whether you would have opposed enfranchisement for women, which was in opposition to ‘existing cultural, religious, historical views’.
“Naturally you would also have opposed the end to slavery, as there were also ‘cultural, religious (and) historical views’ that wanted it kept.
“We live in the 21st century. It is time Labor, followed the example of Britain and so many other countries and dragged itself out of the 18th. “
Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) has organised a formal protest against the Gillard Government’s anti-gay marriage stance for this week.
Eggs will be thrown at effigies of Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott at Taylor Square at 5pm this Thursday.
“With so much disappointment and disillusionment at both the major parties, this event is designed as a fun way for people to express their frustration at both Abbott and Gillard on issues such as the ban on our marriage rights,” CAAH co-convenor Ben Cooper said.
Each egg will cost $1, with the funds raised going towards the next mass demonstration for equal marriage rights in Sydney on Saturday August 14, Town Hall at 1pm.
Penny Wong is such a waste of my tax dollars. Minister for climate change? what a joke! We’re learning every day that climate change is a made up, fear-mongering lie to fool the weak willed and what the hell has same sex marriage got to do with the “so called” climate change issue anyway?
You are 5 years too late Mr! 2010 called – they want an election do-over!
Nothing has changed under Labor because of rising living costs, debt up to our head, sky-rocketting regulations and Labor getting “kick-backs” from the anti-gay Hillsong Christian Taliban.
VOTE 1 GREENS!
Only in very recent History have people from our community been excluded from Same-Sex Marriage. In the ACT Federal Labor fought to have any Marriage like ceremony excluded from Civil Union legislation. This was absurd.
Various types of same-sex marriages have existed, ranging from informal, unsanctioned relationships to highly ritualized unions.
In the southern Chinese province of Fujian, through the Ming dynasty period, females would bind themselves in contracts to younger females in elaborate ceremonies. Males also entered similar arrangements. This type of arrangement was also similar in ancient European history.
An example of egalitarian male domestic partnership from the early Zhou Dynasty period of China is recorded in the story of Pan Zhang & Wang Zhongxian. While the relationship was clearly approved by the wider community, and was compared to heterosexual marriage, it did not involve a religious ceremony binding the couple.
The first historical mention of the performance of same-sex marriages occurred during the early Roman Empire. For instance, Emperor Nero is said to have married one of his males slaves. Emperor Elagabalus married a Carian slave named Hierocles. While there is a consensus among modern historians that same-sex relationships existed in ancient Rome, the exact frequency and nature of same-sex unions during that period has been obscured.In 342 AD Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans issued a law in the Theodosian Code (C. Th. 9.7.3) prohibiting same-sex marriage in Rome and ordering execution for those so married.
There has been a lot of lies put out by Penny Wong, Labor, and Christian Groups about the history of Same-Sex. If we are to use history as a guide, and the many cultures that had Same-Sex Marriage, then we should be talking about bringing back Same-Sex Marriage.
Jim Wallace at the Australian Christian Lobby has spoken about the Internet Filter blocking Same-Sex Marriage websites. I hope this does not happen and the real history of our struggles through civilizations is not ignored and censored. Penny Wong, a practicing Christian who by her words attends Church on a regular basis, has been a big supporter of the Internet filter. I hope she does not tell lies about our history as she has done about Same-Sex Marriage.
Has anyone gotten a response to their email to her ?
I am gay but don’t support marriage as a Gay institution. Rather I don’t see it as something I think is Gay in any way. It should be left to the church goers and Hetro couples. – Such a pity we cannot have our own word or institution with the same entitlements – I really dislike organised religion too much to want to be ‘Married’. However knowing that so many Gay people do want marriage as a part of their life. I would support it by vote and all outward appearance.
I think Penny should have the same respect for her fellow Gays. It is sad that she can not express exactly what she feels in a government where her views can be at least balanced by many other Gay politicians. She is a rarity and unique. As long as she is there alone and voted in as a Gay politician she needs to be more careful.
We are not out of the woods yet and Yes Penny, you do owe it to us, just like we owe you our support which I’m sure come election, we will be asked for.
” Why on earth are we picking on Penny Wong who isn’t responsible for any of this and is clearly between a rock and a hard place? Why pick on Wong of all people??? ”
Because Jean, Penny Wong of all people, should understand that equality means equality. And if some gay people want to get married, despite how she or anyone else feels about it personally, they should have that right DESPITE “a cultural, religious, historical view around that”.
If we left it up to those criteria , where would we be ?
Why don’t we just disband the government and let the pope tell us how to live….
Penny Wong was elected as a GAY person and as such can and should be held to a higher standard when it comes to gay issues. She of all people should know better. We expect ignorant statements to come from the mouths of religious nuts and fundamentalists, but not from one of our own.
What Ms Wong did was to settle for political expediency.
What she did was wrong.
There have been the occassional spurts of rallying for marriage equality. But they are fleeting impressions. My bone is that the gay community is divided over the necessity to get to be married.
Apart from the title, the Labour government has addressed considerable issues that render us the rights straight couples are entitled to. History tells us that consensus won’t uphold equal rights for minorities. Change of attitude happens only after rulings by judges, or laws are made to outlaw the behaviour, followed by education.
You can’t educate religion to do away with homophobia.
I believe Penny Wong is right in respecting the feelings of the significant masses. Not that they are right, but they live in the world too. Better an olive branch than the naive belief that we are right, they are wrong and they should do what we say. THe gay community is not that united.
Could you imagine Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela not standing up for what is right?
I could never imagine standing up and opposing gay marriage. Im gay, I want to be treated like everyone else and have the same choice as everyone else.
To some of the people who dont want to get married – Im not asking you to. But we all deserve the choice to get married if we so choose. This is a human right.
Providing marriage to gay people is also symbolic. We will no longer be treated differently in the eyes of the law and this will pave the way forward on how we are viewed in generations to come. This will reduce youth suicide, hate crimes and gay bashings.
This is a hugely serious issue.
Personally I am very dissapointed in Penny Wong’s comments. I dont care about cabinet unity.
We need Politicans with conviction and courage who stand up for what is right. That creates change.
While the above comments on this article may seem harsh, it will provide Wong with some feedback and hopefully she will find the courage to come out and publicly support gay marriage.
Peace to all
x
Fuck the empathy.
This is someone who is arguing against Same-Sex Marriage to the Labor Party and the Australian People. Someone who goes to Church on a weekly basis, and argues we should respect her religion.
I have a little bit more self respect then to support someone who is attacking myself and my partner to the Australian Community.
Fuck Wong and Fuck Labor.
I write a blog on gay marriage (global, not just australian news)
Here is my piece on Wong – “BEING PENNY WONG”
http://www.thegaymarriageblog.com/2010/07/being-penny-wong/
I don’t agree with her approach, but a little empathy wouldn’t hurt. I am very disappointed by the hatred and ignorance on this page.
Yes Penny Wong has hurt us – but everyone who doesn’t donate cash and time to politics or marriage equality charities is just as bad as her. You can’t live selfish lives and do nothing to convince your colleagues and neighbours about why we need marriage and then turn around and hate Penny Wong for not sh*tting on her party’s policies at the drop of a hat.
I am glad so many people care about marriage equality … I just wish some of you would be less childish about how you think it is actually going to come about.