Two bills legalizing same-sex marriage were introduced into the Australian Parliament this week but, as the AP reports, both could suffer a quick death.The two bills are essentially identical—both would lift the country’s current ban on gay marriages without forcing clergy to perform a ceremony inconsistent with their religion.One was introduced by the radical Greens Party and the other by a lawmaker from the more mainstream Labor Party.But, as Greens representative Adam Bandt explains, neither one has a good chance of passing right now. “We know that as things stand, if either of these bills is put to a vote now, we know it will fail,” he said.
The fight for marriage equality in Australia has taken as many twists and turns as it has here in the States. Though the ruling Labor Party recently changed its platform to support same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Julia Gillard (a Labor member herself) has come out against it, saying that marriage between a man and a woman has a “special status.”
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Two bills legalizing same-sex marriage were introduced into the Australian Parliament this week but, as the AP reports, both could suffer a quick death.The two bills are essentially identical—both would lift the country’s current ban on gay marriages without forcing clergy to perform a ceremony inconsistent with their religion.One was introduced by the radical Greens Party and the other by a lawmaker from the more mainstream Labor Party.But, as Greens representative Adam Bandt explains, neither one has a good chance of passing right now. “We know that as things stand, if either of these bills is put to a vote now, we know it will fail,” he said.
jason
Silly, sad Australian gays. Still trying to convince us that they live in a progressive country.
Oh, ok.
Did everyone up and forget they came out to spit on Heath Ledger’s coffin for doing Brokeback Mountain?
Australia is a very homophobic place.
Torchwood
I believe it was WBC who spat on his coffin
Stew
@jason: So let me understand this properly…
even though there is an openly gay member of federal Cabinet, (the Minister for Finance Penny Wong), an openly gay man held the position of High Court Justice for about a decade (Justice Michael Kirby), and sexual orientation and gender identity are prohibited grounds for discrimination at a federal level and in every state and territory in the nation,including one of the Howard Government’s nastiest pieces of legislation, Workchoices, and in my home state of Victoria a program in schools to the effect of GSAs have bipartisan support. AND gay marriage is part of the National Platforms of the Australian Labor Party (in Government) and the Australian Greens.
As an Australian and a follower of politics I can tell you that the legislation is doomed to failure much more due to those parties wanting to claim full credit for its implimentation and deprive the other party of any. I am under no illusions as to the intentions of the Amendment of the Marriage Act in 2004, a symbollic insult, and the Labor party’s collusion to make it law, but to allow you to insult all the people I live along side withn the basis of the petty stereotypes, a tactic that conservatives have ever used as a justification for their attacks is absurd. Sodomy laws existed until 2005, while ours were struck down in 1997 after decades of disuse. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ was struck down 20 years after a full repeal of similar discriminatory laws in the Australian military.
While the conservatives of your country are planning to change your Constitution to deprive LGBT citizens of equality before the law guaranteed by said document, our conservatives have no illusions as to how dangerous a precedent such an amendment would set (granted our Constitution has no Bill of Rights and is quite a different kettle of fish).
Now if you ignore all that then just read this GROW UP YOU INFANTILE GIT
Peace
Triple S
I don’t see how people who have no idea about Australia can make the judgement that it’s a homophobic place @jason, I hope you’re being sarcastic, because you could be no farther from the truth than you already are. Australia is WAAAAAY more accepting of gays and homosexuality than America. I’m rather insulted you would say such a thing. Of course, if you are being sarcastic, then it’s all good 🙂 But if you’re not, then…you’re mean
Same thing goes for you, @Oh, ok..
Purple
@Triple S,
Agreed…
I would wonder if they’ve even been here?
Australia, while still having a way to go, is an accepting country for the most part.
I’ve had no serious issues despite being openly gay for the last 11 years.
On top of that 8’m Aboriginal with a very mixed race family….
please don’t assume to know what sort of people we are, whether homophobic or otherwise.