Time for education

It’s an exciting time to be a member of our community. Equality issues for same-sex couples and their children are in the mainstream press almost weekly.

At a state level, lesbian co-mothers will now be recognised as a legal parent on their children’s birth certificates, ensuring greater security for many children in our community.

And federally, later this year, same-sex couples will be recognised as equal to opposite-sex de facto couples in most, if not all, areas of federal law.

After so many years of living with this discrimination, our community is in for a big change. Same-sex couples will have to reconsider the way they are taxed, for which benefits they are eligible, how they pay for healthcare and many other areas of their lives.

While many benefits will be gained through the changes, such as being eligible for superannuation reversionary pensions, being taxed as couples rather than individuals, being able to access the Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Safety Nets as couples, some will lose out on social security payments once they are recognised as part of a couple.

Lesbian and gay couples and families will have to reassess the benefits gained under these nearly 100 laws being changed, and prepare for the areas in which their income may be reduced.

In order to help our community through this transition, we have successfully lobbied the Government to phase in some of the changes, so the social security changes will not become effective until mid-2009.

But the government also needs to get serious about providing an education campaign through the mainstream and community media. Even now, almost 10 years after de facto reforms in NSW, many government agencies as well as members of our community are still confused about what rights same-sex couples do and don’t have, including, for example, hospital visitation rights. For the new parenting changes at a State level, and the imminent de facto changes at a Federal level, it is of the utmost importance that our community is provided with the necessary information to prepare appropriately.

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby is calling on both the NSW and Federal Governments to provide adequately funded community education campaigns to ensure that we are aware of our new rights and can fulfil our new responsibilities under the law.

To join us in this call, please contact the Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland ([email protected]) and NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos ([email protected]) with your concerns.