Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009

[The Irreverent Mr Black]

This is taken directly from an oppostion site, as seen in the code box:

http://au.christiantoday.com/article/traditional-marriage-comes-under-further-attack/6899.htm

I don't propose to change a word of it, but would suggest that all AFA readers who feel inclined to respond to the call for comments at the end of the article, should also respond. A bit of balance would be a fine thing!


Traditional marriage comes under further attack

Wednesday, 26 August 2009, 8:47 (EST)

There is a bill tabled in the Senate that seeks to recognise marriage between "any two people", therefore allowing for homosexuals unions to be recognised as marriage. The private members bill, called the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009, was introduced by Greens MP, Senator Sarah Hansen-Young. The bill "seeks to remove all discrimination from the Marriage Act 1961 on the basis of sexuality and gender and to permit marriage regardless of sexuality and gender identity." The effect of the bill would be to reverse important amendments made to the Marriage Act in 2004.

If passed, the bill would allow two men, or two women, to “marry”. It would radically change what marriage means in Australia. Most Australians understand why marriage deserves state recognition, protection and promotion. Eight million Australians are currently married, changing the status quo on marriage would be ignoring the overwhelming majority.

The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is holding an inquiry into the Marriage Equality Bill with submissions called for from interested parties. The closing date for these submissions is Friday 28th August 2009. 5 years ago, a record number of submissions were made to support the definition of marriage, but this time, “marriage equality” activists are very well organised and have considerable sympathy. Your help is therefore needed in opposing the bill. Can you help?

All you need to do is send a short email by Friday 28 August to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au In the subject line at the top, put “Marriage Equality Bill”. In the email itself, write your message. It can be detailed, or very simple. Be sure however to include your name and street address, with postcode.

[eclectic]

Thanks Mr Black! I've already made my submission.

"Eight million Australians are currently married, changing the status quo on marriage would be ignoring the overwhelming majority" - wtf?! How does someone being married mean they don't support gay marriage?! I've been chatting on an Aussie bride-to-be forum for the past 18 months or so for help with planning my wedding. (yes, I'm embarrassed, and yes, now that my wedding is over I'm leaving the site.) Anywho, the majority of participants on this forum are rather traditional, generally not overly educated, not politically active or even particularly interested in politics (I'd guess major party voting), usually loosely following the religion of their childhood, and of course planning to soon be or already married - and yet almost ALL of them are pro-gay marriage, and the site now even has a section for gay marriage planning. (So far all that has happened in this section is the hetero gals have discussed the fact that gay marriage should be legal, they haven't had any actual interest from any gay fiancees... probably because there can't legally be any gay marriages in this stoopid country!)

[The Irreverent Mr Black]

How does someone being married mean they don't support gay marriage?!
It's like the support for my plan to make eyebrow-shaving mandatory. The great absence of outcry from those with eyebrows means I'm representing the will of the people!

Speaking of eyebrows: It's kind of like when Little Johnnie used to do his "Mandate Gestures Hypnotically" trick.

[eclectic]

I've also put the link on said bridal site. Perhaps I'll encourage some democratic participation from a few of them. :)

[DanielV]

I have emailed my support to the link that was provided.

I am strongly in favour of equalizing the rights, respect and tolerance of homosexual/non-hetero people in this country.

I'm damned if i'm going to see their rights continually denied by conservative phobias, religious edicts or other bull$hit.

Kevin Rudd and Labor - I am disappointed you did not support such a movement recently when you had the chance. You are not the "socially liberal" party I once thought you were.

[Vonnie]

Supportive email has been sent.

[Mister Pervert]

Gawd!

I have a pathological avoidance to the wording "any TWO people"!

(Italics mine and not Mr B's)

I've said it before, but I'll say it again...

"Marriage" (as is under discussion) is "union". As it ("marriage") stands, in the traditional sense of the word - man and woman, monogamy, etc - I have no problem accepting that quaint notion. But, if you want to get into debates about "marriage" in a more broader sense, I'd say - please don't limit it to some stupid man/man, woman/woman homosexual thing. Homosexuality is just one of many "alternative" sexual unions.

Quite frankly, marriage is a fine institution - if you want to live in an institution.

[The Irreverent Mr Black]

"Marriage" (as is under discussion) is "union". As it ("marriage") stands, in the traditional sense of the word - man and woman, monogamy, etc - I have no problem accepting that quaint notion. But, if you want to get into debates about "marriage" in a more broader sense, I'd say - please don't limit it to some stupid man/man, woman/woman homosexual thing. Homosexuality is just one of many "alternative" sexual unions.
I don't know how things are in OzGovCo(Immigration) these days, and it's been a while since I had to look at immigration law in any detail, but there were at one time visa categories which gave silent, nodding approval to many things like same-sex partnership (interdependency visas, which I believe still exist) and some funny ones in the lower-800 classes which basically admitted partners in the "marriage > 2" situations.

There was even one to cover the poor blighters brought over as slaves in the employ of certain people. You sometimes see mention of this when one or two get away from the Gold Coast high-rise or whatever...

The left hand hasn't a clue what the left hand is doing, and its Sir Humphrey has deemed that the right hand has no need-to-know.

[Mister Pervert]

There was even one to cover the poor blighters brought over as slaves in the employ of certain people. You sometimes see mention of this when one or two get away from the Gold Coast high-rise or whatever...



Plato, when he wasn't down at the Agora "inventing" democracy, had 11 slaves at home.

heh!

I wish I lived in a Plato democracy...

Or at least a house with dog groomers...

[boxsey]

Submission sent via the website. Its really easy to submit anything for any of the inquiries....I'm giving up facebook to be a seriel submitter.

[Cosmic Teapot]

I sent a email supporting the Bill.

[c2009]

I made a submission to this about 3 days ago... I'm glad that the Greens went after this issue. I'm not homosexual myself, but I have a friend who is, and he's rather pissed off by the current situation.

[gruber]

i noticed how they (bible bashers homophobes) say they dont want children to be "exposed" to gay couples while at the same time their ramming a spoon of religious crap down their own kids throat in the hope they'll be the next generation of homophobes.

this is one of the comments
Put 2 practicing alcoholics together, what do you get? 2 very drunk alcoholics. Put 2 practicing homosexuals together, what do you get? 2 even more emotionally disordered individuals than before,not a healthy environment for children. The science is clear, there is no "gay gene", homosexuality is an emotional disorder and it is not compassionate to say it's OK. Homosexual behaviour can be cured.

ummmm is it possible to cure human stupidity or do you just have to get them in a bag with bricks and take them to the river

i also saw another "top stories" on that site which keywords where "Let's not discriminate"
Ha fucking HA

[eclectic]

i noticed how they (bible bashers homophobes) say they dont want children to be "exposed" to gay couples while at the same time their ramming a spoon of religious crap down their own kids throat in the hope they'll be the next generation of homophobes.

this is one of the comments


ummmm is it possible to cure human stupidity or do you just have to get them in a bag with bricks and take them to the river

i also saw another "top stories" on that site which keywords where "Let's not discriminate"
Ha fucking HA

It's all very upsetting. When I heard about the "National Marriage Breakfast" on the 13th, I felt initially very sad... then a sudden moment of glee when I realised that we would have all the worst homophobes in the country in the one spot... and we could BLOW THEM UP!

As history shows, neither myself or anyone else actually took this opportunity. It might have just martyred them and helped their cause, but I half wish I had done it! It was a strange thought to suddenly have... perhaps I should stop watching "V for Vendetta".