Australian Senator Penny Wong with partner Sophie Allouache
IMPORTANT UPDATE: As of November 2010 Penny Wong publicly announced her long-standing private support for gay marriage. A long time coming, but very very welcome nonetheless
After recent disappointing comments on gay marriage by Julia Gillard and Penny Wong I didn’t think I would be saying this … but I almost feel sorry for Penny Wong.
Why? Don’t spit – please read on for a minute.
I’ve been reading American websites call her personally ‘despicable’ (what would they know personally about an Australian senator?), readers of this blog called her a ‘bitch’, on Facebook there were plenty of racist comments made on several gay rights pages. Not to mention all the related homophobic crap that is probably piling into her inbox from all angles.
And for what … telling us what we already knew the Labor party’s policy to be on gay marriage. What else was she going to say in the middle of an election campaign? And would we have attacked her straight male colleagues in the same way if they said the same thing? I bet not. So how is that fair?
Penny Wong sold her soul? Like politicians don’t have to make compromises every day just to get things done. That is what it is all about. There are lines, and maybe Penny Wong crossed one, but we all make mistakes.
Imagine you are Penny Wong for a minute. You are in the Labor Party trying to make it more open to people like you. It’s quite macho, it’s blokey there are more than a few homophobes still hanging around. What’s more some of them think you’re an uppity dyke who stole their gig. You’ve come a long way and got a huge promotion under a strongly Christian Prime Minister who was never going to support gay marriage – but he did support you in changing 58 laws to create near equality. And then your boss gets dumped, and there’s a chance you are going to lose your job altogether at an election.
So, does now seem like a good time to maybe throw it all away - without any guarantee that overnight your party will back your new willingness to say you support marriage equality? Possibly not.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
So is Penny Wong the problem, or is the problem the Labor Party in general? Maybe part of the problem is you and me … that’s an uncomfrotable thought to consider.
After all, what did you and I do to change the Labor pary’s policy (except complain)? How much did we donate to research to help prove that there is community support for equality? How many of us sent private letters to Penny Wong to encourage her to take a stand?
These are all important questions to answer before tearing Penny Wong apart limb-by-limb simply because she didn’t serve you the policy you ordered like it was a hamburger at McDonalds.
Don’t get me wrong. I think Penny Wong could take a stand. I think she is the last person who would be sacked for taking a stand – 1) because this personally directly affects her life 2) because she is one of the more competent Ministers 3) because lots of people think she supports gay marriage anyway and 4) what other Asian lesbians are going to replace her in the Cabinet?
But equality supporters need to think really hard before they viciously attack people like Wong. Won’t we need her vote in the future when parliament finally does get its act together? Wouldn’t she be more likely to go out on a limb for our community if she knew it would stand by her in tough times too? How will this response encourage more gay and lesbian political candidates? And how exactly is electing Tony Abbott instead of Julia Gillard going to help us win equality?
All of this is a tough balancing act – I don’t pretend to have to a magic strategy or clear answers. But that is also my point: neither do any of those people ripping Penny Wong apart. Bob Brown can do it, because he’s given his life to public service and backs a policy and a party that is committed to equality. There are probably some others. But you and I – we need to show some more respect to someone who could be an ally.
Even if Penny Wong let us down, she’s just a human like the rest of us. A lesbian human who has worked for years to advance gay and lesbian rights. She didn’t crush the gay marriage movement in Australia, and you wouldn’t like to be Penny Wong today. Just remember that.
Tags: gay marriage, marriage equality, marriage penny wong, Penny Wong, Penny Wong gay marriage, same sex marriage, Senator Penny Wong, Sophie Allouache
Great article. I agree with you. I do feel sympathy for Penny Wong. She is in a very difficult position and I think it’s terrible that she’s being so viciously attacked (particularly for her race, which is utterly ridiculous).
At the same time, like you, I wish that she would take a stand. As you say, it is unlikely that she would be reprimanded by the party. I understand why she is not making a fuss – but I think that she should acknowledge that equal marriage rights is the ideal in a progressive, liberal society such as Australia… instead of trying to justify the party’s position and over-exaggerate the effect of their existing reforms.
You’re right though – it’s not Penny we should be angry with. Obviously, she would jump at supporting gay marriage rights. It’s the Labor Party – and Australian society in general, who they are trying to appease – that’s the problem.
Thank you for prompting such an important discussion : )
Laura x
“A lesbian human who has always worked to advance gay and lesbian rights.”
Not today she didnt. If anything as an openly gay senator to come out with the comments she did, she has set back gay rights, especially under the Labor Party. As a gay man in a long-term committed relationship and bringing up a young girl who has to experience questions about her “two daddies” because our relationship isn’t seen as a “norm” in society, I felt physically ill when Penny Wong made her statement. Gay Marriage is an important step for equality for all gay and lesbian australians, and she crushed it to pieces and threw it in the faces of all gay and lesbian australians.
Great post. As a straight white male, I figure I’m part of the problem you’ve outlined – not because I harbour the slightest prejudice or ill-will toward Wong, but because I have not been vocal enough in my support, nor strong enough in my condemnation of those who oppose her for any reason apart from her political views.
It never occurs to me to make a point of someone’s race, let alone their sexuality. I grant my GLBT friends no quarter in argument because I can’t picture them as being in any way oppressed. I’d forgotten how far we have travelled in the last thirty-odd years, and how far we have yet to go. I’ve never suffered the social stigma, so have mistakenly assumed it to be more or less non existent. I can do better.
While I have no love for Labor at the moment, I’ll be taking your advice and writing Wong (do I get points for that really bad pun?) to offer her personal, if not political support. Her effort on qanda last night was gutsy and commendable. She deserves to hear it from rednecked yokels like me.
Thanks for bringing that personal oversight to my attention.
I don’t think she’s crushed our chances at equality … what about the 60% of people who still say they support it. what about the half of the labor party that is pushing to change the policy?
and you are a living example James of how to change attitudes – by going out and starting a family in spite of the barriers.
We’ll get there in the end. But it will take more than one lesbian to help us do it!
I am afraid you are judging politicians from a low base; and perhaps you do this because you have a lot to do with them. But Australians want more politicians with conviction.
I can’t argue with the fact that Senator Wong is a team player. But there is a bigger team than one’s political party; and that is the team of people who need your support because they can’t make change themselves. We elect politicians to make our case for us.
Far better of Senator Wong to say, I have views on this and I am going to bring this up with the Prime Minister – than to let down a whole group of people.
I think her response has been poor – but, as a blogger who has posted his own response, I urge you not to compare burgers and policies. You can buy the former – but I hope we have a Government which isn’t selling policies.
People have a right to expect their politicians to represent them and their views. Many voters, gay and straight, have made representations about gay marriage. There is no shortage of people, gay and straight, who have made their views on this clear.
Party politics lets many people down – and your blog excuses it.
If you are the Ryan Heath who wrote “Please just f* off, it’s our turn now”, you appear to be using a different set of arguments to make your case.
“… and she crushed it to pieces and threw it in the faces of all gay and lesbian australians.”
ffs get a grip. Hyperbole like that will win you heaps of support – not.
Jenna, Gibbot – great to hear those comments … finally a real discussion on here! (lots of people reading blog but hardly any comments til now)
Re: Jenna, not trying to excuse party politics letting people down, but if you’re not in a party it can also be said that you as a citizen are letting society down. i am being really harsh now, but i just think we are all responsible for the mess of our politics, and we all have to make more effort and be understanding of others who do the same (even when it is a different effort to the one we would make).
I definitely think Penny Wong should stand up and state the obvious – that like her faction, her church and most of the people she has ever worked with in her parts of labor politics – she supports equality. But just like I wouldn’t force someone out of the closet, I would rather work with her on that journey that just dump her or lump her with the John Howard’s of the world because of one poor comment.
How do you explain the hypocrisy of Penny Wong when the ALP candidates for Wentworth (Steve Lewis) and Melbourne (Cath Bowtell) have both said publicly they support same-sex marriage?
Apparently it is okay to go against the party line if you are an ALP candidate in an electorate with a large gay community.
It is also okay to go against the party line if you are a state member of parliament and a minister, ie Bronwyn Pike in Victoria.
But oh no, Penny is in the federal cabinet and a senior minister, so therefore she must toe the line, because the ALP does not want to scare the rednecks in the marginal seats of western Sydney and Queensland.
The hypocrisy of Penny Wong and the ALP on this issue is utterly galling.
I am not defending, but explaining, where i think Penny is coming from. it’s called empathy.
In fact two Cabinet ministers have already said they support gay marriage: anthony albanese and peter garrett. I think in total 11-14 of them actually would vote for it if given the chance.
And like you say, many other candidates support it.
But the point of Cabinet Government is that Cabinet acts as one. That’s literally the whole point of the system. You can disagree with that; you can argue for policy exceptions; you can argue for a new policy, as I do; but you can’t hate Penny Wong for complying the system that every other Minister in Australian history has had to comply with.
Penny Wong is a smart woman. She would have known full well the kind of reaction of the GLBTI community and their allies when she made her statement. I really do hope that she wouldn’t be sacked for voicing her real opinions but I don’t think she is willing to rely on that kind of uncertainty. I also doubt she is a vengeful person, one who would turn on the gay community just because they criticised her stance to support her party’s policy. I’ve got my own blog post all about this. http://wp.me/pMASy-2e
Yes – and that’s my point. Others have said they would support gay marriage – and they’re the straight ones! Senator Wong needs to say the same – a lot of people are expecting her to stand up for them. Now is her chance to show them she will support them.
As for parties, you are welcome to be in one; and I will defend your right to do so. But if joining a party requires us to give up everything we believe in, that’s not a choice I’m prepared to make.
Political parties want to homogenise us (forgive my own food metaphor). I’m not ready for that. Thank you, however, for a lively blog. Not sure why others are not commenting.
Hey Ryan
I hear you BUT……..
Penny is in the Senate – really she is not at risk of losing her seat as she doesnt really answer to an electorate.
I am a gay man and for the life of me, I could never ever publicly state that I did not support gay marriage. It wouldnt matter what was on the line, its about your principles and morality, your make-up.
I am horrified by her comments. And I think the community at large thinks its a bit ridiculous that she does not support gay marriage. She looks like she has no back bone.
To make matters worse for Penny, Steven Lewis The Labor candidate for Wentworth has come out in support of gay marriage.
When I called her office to complain they told me they didnt know that she had said anything. I referred them to every major newspaper to they could catch up on the gossip.
On Qanda last night I was also dissapointed at how dismissive Richo was at the guy in the crowd. He was rude telling him basically to be thankful for what reforms have been made and that he should be patient.
Well tell that to the elderly gay people who may die and not ever be able to marry the one they love. Or tell it to the gay couples who have been split up in nursing homes because they are not man and wife.
I hope the community backlash makes her have a good hard think about herself and what she stands for and hopefully she will find the courage to say what is right.
I look forward to following your future writings.
x
Jenna Price – you wouldn’t happen to be the ex SMH journalist that now warps kids’ brains at UTS, would you?
Years ago, when Pauline Hanson first rose to prominence and the ‘Asian Invasion’ campaign kicked off, I remember having a conversation with an old Chinese restaurateur. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my fellow ‘white’ Australians for the first time in my life.
I asked him about how he viewed One Nation, and if he thought the party reflected the views of the majority.
He laughed, and said “That redhead woman? Don’t worry about her. It’s nothing.”
“How can you be so sure? She’s dangerous,” I responded.
He winked, “Me? All my friends? We joined her party.”
@Byron Stafforshire
Its okay for the Labor candidate for Wentworth to openly support gay marriage because Steve Lewis is NOT going to get elected. Labor didn’t even bother to field a candidate at the most recent Bradfield by-election.
Its okay for the Labor candidate for Melbourne to openly support gay marriage because Cath Bowtell is the only candidate in Australia whose opponent is the Greens and not the Coalition. She has nothing to lose. She is also not a member of the Labor caucus.
If Penny were to chant “gay marriage” at every cabinet meeting, she will get sidelined and she might as well join the Greens, which is a fringe party. Make no mistakes about it a FRINGE party. They will never get an impressionable voice in the lower house.
So GROW UP and learn about how the Westminster system actually works before you criticise Penny Wong, your only incumbent gay voice in the whole of the Australian Federal Parliament.
@katesimmons – we need more hard-headed thinkers fighting for equality … i hope you have lots of smart friends!
… kate’s comment makes me think of another point. Our parliament’s have always been woefully empty of out LGBT politicians. I think one reason is internal party homophobia in most places, and the other is that gays and lesbians are afraid of the intense scrutiny political candidacy brings. A combination of these two factors is certainly why most out politicians are in upper houses, rather than lower houses.
I wonder how many talented young gays will get turned off standing as a candidate because of the attacks Penny Wong is facing? I would hate to think that our demands for equality now, end up shooting our community in the foot years later. Granted that’s a small, unmeasurable risk. But it’s worth pause for thought.
I don’t think anyone is asking Penny wong to chant “gay marriage” at every Cabinet meeting, or even be openly activist about it. Just be honest. And I actually think it is poor politics by the ALP that she didn’t – she could have acknowledged her party’s position and even used the rationale they present to say she accepted it, but then to note that her individual preference would be to see a change to the cultural and political norms that mean this policy decision has been taken. Not to just shut it down.
Politics should be about having courage to stand up for what you really believe in. Just as black civil rights activists in the US took a stand against black conservatives being appointed to political and judicial positions and failing to try and promote a black political agenda, or even support progressive policies, so I don’t think it is wrong to express disappointment when penny takes such a conservative position.
It is true that Penny Wong does a lot for women, Asian Australians and lesbians just by being a member of Cabinet. She could, however, do so much more.
Penny is a hypocrite, penny is a hypocrite, penny is a hypocrite, penny is a hypocrite, penny is a hypocrite, penny is a hypocrite, and on it can go. NO El, we won’t grow up and learn how the Westminster system works, penny was voted in, and is in a privileged position, she has the responsibility to respect and listen to the nation. And 72% of the Nation want equality in marriage for same sex couples.
You grow up el, and stop judging people who don’t think the same way as you, you big sweet lovely thing you!
Perhaps Penny chooses, unlike many here, not to define all she is simply through her sexual preference…Really, I grow tired and bored of gay activists who’s entire outlook on life is centered around what sexual moves them, for Christs sake….
“But oh no, Penny is in the federal cabinet and a senior minister, so therefore she must toe the line, because the ALP does not want to scare the rednecks in the marginal seats of western Sydney and Queensland.”
In the heat of an election it is precisely the above comment that rings true but against the gay and lesbian rights orgainsations.. what have they done to win over regional, rural and outer city seats to the cause of equality..
Go to these constituencies and see how many people honestly share the view that gays deserve equality in relationships.. the Greens can do what they like they play a very safe game and need only to appeal to the inner city and then scrape enough votes from the rest of the constituencies.. they are not strong out side a very small amount of seats.. this whole ‘gay marriage debate’ is being fought I would imagine in the same set of Greens target seats..
In the heat of an election lets see how quickly the right wing media will turn on Labor when they give a green light to allowing gays and lesbians to marry.. you think the church will stay quiet, do you think the Liberals will stay quiet alongside the Nationals…
look at what is happening when Labor quite rightly suggests that all Australians should benefit from the minerals currently being taken from our soil.. the anti-campaigns changed public opinion in no time flat..
This debate needs to be undertaken in a rational way.. former NZ PM Helen Clarke had it right when she open up civil partnerships to heterosexuals and homosexuals.. even in Britain they do not have gay marriage rather a separate clause for civil unions and totally ignore couples in de-facto relationships…
so attack Penny Wong all you like.. I wonder what the loud booming voices in the alternative Government will do when confronted with the same questions about equality for gays and lesbians..
I am sure the Greens will win the lower house after all their policies seem to capture the imagination of an election winning majority don’t they????
I was conceived and brought up by heterosexual parents in the company of heterosexual siblings in an openly heterosexual society. I was educated at a religious private school, which taught me all about loving heterosexual marriage. Without exception, dramaturgical portrayals of relationships to which I was exposed were heterosexual.
Notwithstanding this, I still managed to turn out entirely homosexual, which, given the above circumstances, could be said to be surprising. Gay was not an easy thing to be in the 1960′s, when I could have been imprisoned, merely for having this positive interaction with another human being. Yet my life was made rewarding and fulfilling by the love and unstinting support of friends, colleagues, and most of all, my family who never once treated me any less favourably because my passion was for a person of the same gender as my own.
There is no doubt that LGBT rights we have already gained could never have made it into legislature without the overwhelming support given by the heterosexual majority, responding to our appeals for human compassion, justice and fair play.
There is also no doubt that the public perception of a great many cogent issues of public interest has been profoundly changed by individual activism and education, such as Aneurin Bevan’s founding of the NHS in the UK, Florence Nightingale’s championing of the high nursing standards we enjoy today, the enactment of women’s suffrage, emancipation of slaves in the USA, and the outspoken advocacy of Harvey Milk. In all these cases public opinion changed, because it was ultimately seen to be right. The veil of ignorance and prejudice was lifted by strong individuals of high moral character, who never gave up.
While there is not universal support even in the gay and lesbian communities for gay marriage, few would want to deny this to people who seek it. Marriage has formalised the love and mutual commitment of countless heterosexual Australian couples, and poll results on the subject now make it clear that they do not wish to deny this to others wishing the same lawful acknowledgment for their relationships.
The granting of universal access to marriage and all that it connotes does not in any way threaten heterosexual marriage. Heterosexual marriage will be as strong as ever, no matter whether we have gay marriage or not.
The electorate voted Penny Wong into office knowing her to be lesbian, thus giving her a platform from which to articulate public advocacy on any issue she sees fit. Her aboutface is therefore doubly disappointing because it appears to be more the result of faint heartedness and meanspiritedness, than of rational thought. These are not qualities to be admired in anyone, let alone in a politician.
people! Hello! This is bizarre. Why are you more angry at Penny than every other member of Parliament? Do you also think racism is the fault of aboriginal people? Women should be the only ones to fight against the pay gap/discrimination? The responsibility to fight injustice surely falls on us all, but not more on the ‘victims’ of societies various prejudices.
@msrgabriel
Was she given the mandate to champion gay marriage? Since you have professed to continue to be ignorant of how the political system works in Australia, you are obviously not serious about whatever you’re mumbling on.
@Derek Williams (I read you post on sso)
Penny’s “aboutface”? You are obviously blissfully unaware that neither the Labor Party, the Coaltion nor Penny Wong has ever supported gay marriage. She is a lesbian. That we know. But your talk about discrimination is hypocritical if you choose to define her on her sexuality. She was not given the mandate to champion gay marriage and she should not be expected to automatically take on the mantel. You reckon that’s disappointing, Derek? Well Bob Brown is gay and has championed gay marriage for as long as the Greens has existed. But guess what? He has achieved nothing nothing until Penny Wong steered Labor to change the 80 or so offending articles. You need to learn about Realpolitik. Marching in the street is not enough to make real changes. You need to be in power to execute power.
I am sick and tired of gays or gay marriage supporters who like our copy-and-paster @mrsgabriel willingly remain ignorant of how politics work in terms of making radical changes like gay marriage. You people turn me off completely. And its alright turning me off but whenever the rest of Australia sees you on TV being all unsophisticated and radical, you alienate many Australians who are terrified of men shagging men and women shagging women. Remember, 64% of Australians call themselves Christians (2006 ABS census). You alienate any number of them further, you make them instill their negative perception of you to those around them, like their kids. This is why radicals never achieve anything in this world, not unless there is a vaccum. And there is not one in Australia. Straight Australians go about their daily lives unaffected by gays not being able to marry. This is the vaccum I’m talking about. I know this first hand being my parents are straight. They are very well educated and their think very lowly of those gay activists who are shortsighted and reactionary.
Penny Wong is the only openly gay federal minister who has a measurable amount of respect from centre-right voters. Just bear that in mind. The talk of “betrayal” by the gay community is very dangerous.
{please edit this out: kate.simmons@gmail.com(is not my email [long story])}
@Melissa
You are obviously assuming Penny Wong believes in gay marriage. Why? Is it because she is gay? What about the fact that she is a practicing Christian by her own admission?
Lenore Taylor’s words should be noted. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gillards-credibility-takes-a-hit-and-theres-not-a-thing-she-can-do-20100728-10w35.html
“Cabinet confidentiality is supposed to be one of the immutable laws of our system of government – so that ministers can freely and frankly discuss policy inside the cabinet room.
Once they step outside the room, all freeness and frankness is supposed to cease and any divergence from the collective decision is supposed to be punishable by immediate resignation (which is why those attacking Penny Wong for refusing to contradict the government position on gay marriage presumably think it’s better for her to be forthright about her personal views from the backbench).”
je suis très triste de lire toutes ces attaques contre Penny Young sur le mariage gay, ne travaille t’elle pas comme il se doit pour son partie, j’en doute sinon elle n’aurai pas se poste , alors laisser les gens vivre comme ils le veulent sa ne regarde qu’elle et sa partenaire.Je leurs souhaite tous le bonheur du monde n’en déplaise à certain.
Penny Wong is but one of thousands that dtermine Labor Party policy. She has shown tremendous bravery and honesty in her approach to this issue. If the gay community leaves her to carry the can on this issue it would be the most ironic form of discrimination of all. Penny has worked tirelessly on a reform agenda from within the party. It may not be the avenue that many of us would choose however she has been earnest an open in her belief that this is in her belief the best avenue for change.
why is a diference of opinion from one within our community treated more harshly and as an act of treachery worthy of shunning her from the community.
…lots of opinions, concepts, and ideas here…
…and “here”- they are worthless ramblings.
I’ve hand-written and sent letters to my representatives letting them know my feelings on many issues~
Have any of you? Or do you save your opinions only for the internet?
*This is an argument against those who say that gay marriage is against God’s will*
Ok, so I had a conversation with my friend the other day concerning gay marriage (he was against it and I was for it) and stumbled across an epiphany of sorts. What if gay people made a church of their own! One that allows gay marriage. Maybe I am not the first one to think of it but I do believe that it is an uncommon idea so I had to tell somebody. What better place than a blog for gay marriage? While I doubt that this will be read that much, I firmly believe in getting my opinion heard (or read) and I hope that someone or a group of people with the means can take my idea and do something great with it because (no I am not gay) I believe in human rights and as far as I am concerned gay people are human too.
Alright, let me get to the point. The reason I say that gay people should form their own church is because something similar has been done before. King Henry VIII of England separated himself from the Roman Catholic Church because he disagreed with a fundamental doctrine…DIVORCE! Yes, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Old Testament, and the Old Testament divorce is considered immoral (unless one or both spouses have committed adultery or both spouse can prove the marriage never to have existed). However, even if the couple meets the requirement for divorce, God still wants these individuals to be married and he condemns remarriage to others. So when King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, because she was unable to bare him a male heir, he was going against both of these principles and thus was unjustified in his wanting of a divorce; even if he was, he would not be allowed to remarry the woman he selected (Anne Boleyn) thus defeating the purpose. Henry’s reformation of the English church involved more complex motives than his desire for a new wife and an heir however this was factor nonetheless. So he starts a new church, the Church of England. This one allows divorce. Some would argue that many other denominations of Christianity are derived from this church.
Alright now that we got all that stuff out of the way, I can get to the point. It’s as simple as this:
1. How can anyone attack gay marriage on religious ground? If gay marriage is immoral, unjust, or against God’s will then we must consider divorce equally immoral, unjust, and against God’s will.
2. If one man can create his own religion because he/she disagrees with another religion, why can’t gay people? Not allowing gay people the same rights is dehumanizing.
3. If we refuse to legalize gay marriage solely on religious debate, then we MUST question the legality of divorce.
4. Finally, even if gay marriage is not to be legalized, if gay people were to form a church that allows gay marriage then the government is obligated to respect it.
If you believe that everything that I’ve said here is completely retarded please let me know…gently lol. You can do the research though. I’m not just blurting out random things.
My argument is that marriage even in a generic format is the joining, matching or blending of two complimenting components. Testosterone does not compliment testosterone but is complimented by estrogen. B/c it is a dichotomy in principle to suggest that a homosexual union can be a marriage I contend that it should not be allowed as it is to suggest a new definition and principle for what marriage is.
http://www.nwitimes.com/lifestyles/article_823bcc05-4d11-5377-8331-bc4246448c8b.html
One should not be in the business of poking there nose in another bedroom without there permission. No mater who you are and what ever life style you chose we all need love.
When two people get married, it is because they love each other.
They want to be together in a bond that makes them one with each other forever.
It is a wonderful thing to have such a bond.
It is special.
It is love.
When a man and a woman get married, no one blinks an eye.
If two men or two women do the same, then many people do not approve.
They claim that it is not right or that it soils the real meaning of marriage.
What is the real meaning of marriage?
The answer to that question is in line one of this article.
It is because they love each other.
Does it matter if the couple is gay or straight?
Should it matter?
No!
After all, why should it.
Gays want their equal rights and among those equal rights is the right to be married.
I agree with wanting equal rights.
We are all people which means we are all the same.
It does not matter if someone is gay, white, black, a man, a woman, tall, short, young, old or whatever.
We all want our equal rights.
That is our right.
However, we need to go beyond equal rights when it comes to gay marriage.
Society needs to understand that any marriage is not about the right to be married.
It is about wanting to be married as a loving couple.
Love is not something that should be decided on by voters.
It is not a court issue either.
It should not be an issue at all.
Marriage is between two people in love.
It is not between two people, the voters, the courts and anyone else who has an opinion.
Gay marriage does not bring down the meaning of marriage.
It makes the true meaning of marriage even better.
That is what love does.
It makes things better.
Society has come a long way in the last fifty years in terms of equality, but we still have a long way to go.
It is a shame that love is something that needs to be fought for.
I am not gay, but I am the same as you as you are to me.
May love conquer all.
George Vreeland Hill
Marrage is between a man and a woman or a woman and a man.
Penny Wong has is has a very strong voice and is very respected by many people even if she is gay. I think she is not taking sides on this issue.
Penny Wong is a degenerate. Nothing more and nothing less. One can tell the place is going to shit when this rubbish happens.
Next thing Bob Brown will want overies shoved up his ring so he can have kids too.
Guy Buchanan – Marriage is a union between man and woman only. In plumbers terms for the retards who disagree the round peg goes in the round hole.
What would Jesus think? You will all burn in hell but I don’t really care if you want to pump the neighbors dog. I don’t want to know about it. You queers would integrate a lot better if you didn’t advertise the fact you were queers every chance you get. What people do behind closed doors is there buissness all i ask (and most people) is not to have it shoved in our faces on TV or two gays kissing on the street. Nothing makes me sicker.