Wallabies rugby star Dave Pocock, who is boycotting marriage until there is equal love in Australia
It is not realistic to ask male-female couples to do this, but I find it very touching when such couples do make a stand like this. It’s a big sacrifice, and when it comes from a famous rugby player like Dave Pocock it makes a doubly strong point.
It’s been a big month in Australia – I am just sorry my day has left this blog mostly silent (though I do have a chapter in the new Australian book “Speak Now”!)
The latest news includes, a departing State Premier (South Australia’s Mike Rann backing equality), the Acting Premier of Queensland (basically our Texas) backing federal marriage equality and proposing a state civil union scheme in the meantime, and the national President of the ruling Labor Party saying she also backs equality.
None of this means it’s more likely to happen in the national Parliament this year – but all the momentum is positive. Keep reading for more details Continue reading →
Rodney Croome has penned some very useful observations on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website.
Croome shows why the recent consultation MPs ran on gay marriage will have a positive effect in the medium and long term. And most importantly he shows why we shouldn’t fall into the default view that the campaign has suffered a setback just because most MPs continued to stick to the party lines against equality.
For example:
* It prompted thousands of those who were indifferent to think about their position.
* This kind of constructive debate inevitably changes hearts and minds for the better.
A good example of the slowly rising tide is the member for Ballarat, Catherine King, who told the ABC, “I am on the public recorded of supporting the current definition of marriage but I have to say that view has been fundamentally challenged by the representations of same-sex couples”.
Exciting news about “Speak Now” a new Australian book on gay marriage that I have written a chapter for … it’s going to hit the bookstands and your e-readers in October 2011.
The blog about the book is now up and running here, thanks to the heroic editor of the book, Dr Victor Marsh:
http://speaknowaustralia.
Australian activists such as Andrew Barr, Evelyn Gray and Rodney Croome, who have written for The Gay Marriage Blog are also contributing chapters amongst a stellar cast of 30 or so writers. This should make a great impact as debate around the Australian Labor Party conference heats up.
In an Australian first, marriage equality advocates have met Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to put their case for reform.
Attending the meeting were former Australian Medical Association President, Kerryn Phelps and her wife, Jackie Stricker-Phelps, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) national spokesperson, Shelley Argent, Australian Marriage Equality (AME) campaign director, Rodney Croome, and same-sex mental health specialist, Paul Martin.
Professor Phelps and Mrs Stricker-Phelps said they told the Prime Minister about the pain of not having their overseas marriage recognised in Australia and gave her letters written by their children about the need for equality. Professor Phelps said, “I am very pleased we have opened a dialogue with the Prime Minister and hope to continue to talk to her about this issue”. Mr Croome emphasised the importance of marriage equality as a way of promoting inclusion and participation in family life and told the Prime Minister she has a historic opportunity to make Australian a more just and equitable nation. “In response to reports that the Labor Party may adopt a conscience vote on marriage equality before the National Conference has a chance to deal with the issue in December, the Prime Minister gave us an assurance there will be a debate on marriage equality at the National Conference”, Mr Croome said. Mr Martin spoke to the Prime Minister about the link between mental health, internalised homophobia and the inability to marry. “I felt Ms Gillard listened respectfully and seemed to take on board what I was saying. She accepted information about marriage equality and mental health from a recent statement by the American Psychological Association.”
Said Argent: “I felt Ms Gillard listened … meeting gave me hope that if the (ALP) National Conference is positive on this issue she won’t stand in the way of marriage equality being presented to Parliament.”
Thankfully this fool is not propping up the Australian Government (as with two other independent MPs) … otherwise we’d have extra reason to be worried at the awful comments of Independent Member of Parliament Bob Katter at an anti-equality rally in Canberra where conservative American commentator, Rebecca Hagelin, said same-sex marriage will lead to marriages between paedophiles and children, and Katter said the idea of same-sex marriages “deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed”.
Loree and Kevin Rudd
WTF? I did not expect to read about Kevin Rudd and the global gay gestapo this morning.
This is one of those situations of “who cares what a relative of a famous person or a famous person says.” They don’t have an extraordinary insight, they just have a name.
Well, seeing as I am happy to take all the good stuff from our liberal friendly celebrities … I have to support the downside of this fame game too. Like the sister of the recent Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, saying Australia is being held hostage by the “gay gestapo” when it comes to marriage equality. Go back in your box!
Insensitive. Wrong. Lacking in insight. Offensive to all Gestapo victims. We could go on. And we could also say that Brother Rudd is playing it smart by shutting up, which is something Sister Rudd would have been well advised to do.
But someone has to condemn this crazy lady, and I am certainly going to be one of those people. And it will be a good day when she leaves the Australian Labor Party which is growing more enlightened and will one day cut these sorts of people loose and officially adopt equality as its national policy.
An MCC service, photo courtesy of MCC
I love confusing headlines!… but seriously, BAGUIO CITY, Philippines will be home to a huge same sex mass wedding event this weekend.
It’s the first event of its kind, and will not be legal unfortunately, but following on from a similar legal event in the US last month, it should raise the profile of the local marriage equality campaign. It is our friends at the Metropolitan Community Church who are once again behind the activism, and the weddings will coincide with the 5th Baguio LGBT Pride parade.
The group will be holding ecumenical worship and mass wedding for same-sex couples for free and to be witnessed by the public in a venue to be announced later.
Somewhat bizarrely the church is requiring that wedding couples have been in a steady loving relationship for more than eight months. Why eight months I wonder?
While fully agreeing with this article from the New York Times, I have to say that Jaye Cee Whitehead leaves out the best examples of her own argument and analysis.
Basically, she says it is dehumanising to argue for equality on the basis of economic competitiveness or the revenue a booming wedding industry brings in. True.
But the biggest economic gains are not from weddings, they are actually from the better health that people have throughout their life when someone is there to care for them – they live longer, healthier etc and are therefore also not a big fat burden on the state.
And secondly the best reason for equality isn’t because we are citizens, even if that sounds the most idealistic reason (children are citizens too; fathers and daughters are citizens but not good marriage partners); it’s because we are as capable of fulfilling the obligations of marriage as any other adult.
Finally, after what the banks and their leaders just did to our economies, supporting marriage equality is the least they can do.
Sean Avery, an ice hockey star, is not a person I knew about until this spot for New Yorkers for Marriage Equality. But his common sense and possibly brave decision to speak about the equality he expects for himself, and supports for others, makes me wonder where the other sports stars are in this debate. Cristiano Ronaldo is a notable other example.
I don’t think sports stars are special people – but they do have large followings and a way of connecting with more macho and less political crowds that we needs as supporters of equality.
How about Ian Thorpe doing an ad for Australian Marriage Equality? Just saying …
