Marriage issue galvanising gay community

18 August 2010 | 04:41:16 PM | Source: SBS - Shalailah Medhora

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A survey says 60 per cent of Australians support gay marriage (Getty Images)

Gay marriage has been one of the election's most contentious issues, with both major parties opposing homosexual unions. But has the debate surrounding the issue mobilised the gay and lesbian community?

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According to a survey commissioned by gay lobby group Australian Marriage Equality last year, 60 per cent of Australians are in favour of homosexual unions.

That number was up from 57 per cent in 2007.

Despite the seeming support for gay marriage, Labor leader Julia Gillard and Coalition leader Tony Abbott have both reiterated their position that marriage will remain between a man and a woman.

Queensland Family First senate candidate, Wendy Francis, sparked national outrage when she tweeted that gay marriage "is like legalising child abuse".

The Brisbane grandmother soon apologised, denying claims she is homophobic.

The Greens party is the only major party that supports gay marriage.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has indicated she will reintroduce the Marriage Equality Bill in the Upper House, after the legislation was rejected last year.

The Greens also have five openly gay candidates standing for election in this campaign, two of them in the gay strongholds of Wentworth and Sydney, both of which encompass the famous Oxford Street.

"The Greens have been leading the way for social progress on this issue [gay marriage] over a number of years," Matthew Robertson, Greens candidate for Wentworth, says.

Mr Robertson says marriage "remains the greatest legal discrimination still present in our laws", as it explicitly excludes homosexual couples.

"If we [the Greens] are to attract more support in the LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex] community… it's because of our record, rather than the fact our two candidates in Wentworth and Sydney happen to be gay in this election."
 
Senthorun Raj, Policy and Development Coordinator with the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby says the concept of the 'gay vote' is problematic, because it does not take into account the diversity of the community.

But, he says the issue of gay marriage has mobilised the diverse group.

"It is disappointing that both major parties oppose marriage equality. Marriage is a civil institution, governed by secular laws, of which all people are entitled access to, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity," Mr Raj says.

"Continued discrimination in the Marriage Act sends a troubling social message to the public that same-sex relationships are 'lesser than' heterosexual ones."

Even though both major parties have come out against gay marriage, both have openly gay candidates standing.

Mr Raj and Mr Robertson say representation is important, but members of the LGBTI community overwhelming look at policy when deciding how to cast their ballots.

"Openly gay and lesbian parliamentarians are always encouraging," Mr Raj says.

"However, as with every individual, a person's sexual identity does not necessarily correlate to their political values or opinions.

"Politicians who are willing to champion legislative equality for gay men, lesbians and their families is [sic] what ultimately matters."

"The gay and lesbian communities in Australia have the potential to be powerful voices in the political process," Mr Raj says.

"As demonstrated with this election, and the focus on marriage equality, the broader LGBTI community is able to make their opinions public and heard."

"Overwhelmingly, people are looking to the Greens policy," Mr Robertson says.

"One of the best things about being a Greens candidate is that I can honestly say that my personal beliefs are in line with the policy of the Greens one hundred per cent."
 

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03 Sep 2010 10:17 AEST

troy

From: sydney

@ odds

Its really weird that we try to make out that marrige, family and its union can be by something that rational tells us cannot create a family. And then we try to bend the rules of nature to make it happen. And a loud voice is given to those for same sex marriage when it took the prefect union of male and female to bring them into being.

Agree (3 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

01 Sep 2010 12:00 AEST

Aimee

From: World

World

Andrew and Jon, what do you base yr opinion on? Contrary to the lies you are trying to spread, those of us that had an education know that marriage was not in fact invented by the church. Marriage was around long before any of today's religions, and was in fact used as a bartering process when 'man' kind first stoped being hunters & gatherers and started to farm land! If you want yr arguement to be taken seriously, then you should stick to the truth, the real truth not the truth according to you

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

21 Aug 2010 1:44 AEST

Lulu

From: undefined

Give up the pesky hetero-elitism and ego Andrew! And do your homework! The definition of marriage as one man one woman is only 6 years old in our legislation!! It was only 2004 when Howard inserted the definition in a desperate bid to get conservatives on side by copying the bush Admin during a rocky political climate. And think about how much marriage has evolved over the years to correct blatent discrimination against minorities. Go and be good to your wife and leave my affairs alone.

Agree (3 people agree)
Disagree (3 people disagree)
 

20 Aug 2010 15:04 AEST

Brendon

From: undefined

In response to Jon's post: The only literature that suggests gay marriages are corrupt is the bible and other religious text. Since we live in a secular state, the teachings of such literature should not have any bearing on our secular laws. Accordingly, the only thing remaining that supports your assertion that gay marriages corrupt and debase marriage are your own prejudices and phobias. The LGBT community are asking for the right to be married under secular civil law, not church law.

Agree (5 people agree)
Disagree (4 people disagree)
 

20 Aug 2010 10:50 AEST

Andrew

From: Wills

Ah, "pester power" and overstating statistics in the gay marriage debate, not a rational debate about what is and should be the definition of marriage. The odd thing is, gay and lesbian couples who want access to marriage want something that by definition they cannot have. They want all the social cache and inherent goodness of the ideal of 'marriage' as it is currently defined and has been for millennia across cultures - between a man and a woman. To have gay marriage is to lose that cache.

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (9 people disagree)
 

20 Aug 2010 2:51 AEST

Michael

From: Adelaide

equality in all things

As a gay man and a father of 3 i am insulted that neither major political party thinks that i should be allowed to marry my partner. It is nothing more than homophobic discrimination which sends the wrong message to the broader community that being gay is somehow less than anyone else. I always thought that Australia was a modern foward thinking nation, how wrong can i be. If other nations can change their marriage laws then we can here. If the broader public support it why cant politicians.

Agree (13 people agree)
Disagree (3 people disagree)
 

19 Aug 2010 22:46 AEST

Mary

From: undefined

The Greens are religious fanatics. They spout their dogma and call it policy. They parade their sanctimonious self-righteousness and call it good. They condemn their heretics and call them homophobes or climate deniers or redneck or some other dismissive perjorative term. Vote for them? No moral or thinking person could.

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (7 people disagree)
 

19 Aug 2010 22:39 AEST

Jon

From: undefined

We care because of the homosexual lobbies ongoing attempts to corrupt and debase marriage. When that institution is corrupted and debased it corrupts and debases the whole society because it is one of the cornerstones of the society. Your comments are misrepresentaive and disingenuous, but considering that you are trying to corrupt and debase marraige they are not surprizing, just reprehensible and predictable.

Agree (3 people agree)
Disagree (9 people disagree)
 

19 Aug 2010 14:51 AEST

Jason

From: Gellibrand

I wonder if every political party who oppose gay marriage realise how many voters they are turning away with their backward policy on gay marriage. Do they not understand it is not only gay people who they are offending, it is also families of gay people, friends of gay people, and other people in society who may know or work with a gay person. If you tally all these people up Im sure you could say that by opposing gay marriage you are ostracising about 75% of the national electorate.

Agree (10 people agree)
Disagree (4 people disagree)
 

18 Aug 2010 20:25 AEST

Sean Mishael

From: Fraser

If people are happily married then why they would they care in any way about who anyone else marries? The only reason that people oppose same-sex marriage must be because of their deep-seated resentment. They're most likely unhappy in their current marriage and secretly wish they could have married their same-sex boyfriend or girlfriend.

Agree (11 people agree)
Disagree (16 people disagree)
 
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