Ireland calls on Australia to change marriage laws
Image: The Netherlands has also declared Australia's Marriage Act discriminates against LGBTI people during a UN review of the country's human rights record.
AUSTRALIA has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism regarding its marriage equality and asylum seeker policies during a periodic review of its human rights record by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
In Geneva overnight, members of the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group called on Australia to catch up with other western countries on the issue of marriage equality.
The UPR is conducted every four years and according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, it “has great potential to promote and protect human rights in the darkest corners of the world”.
Ireland — which legislated marriage equality earlier this year through a successful referendum to change the definition of marriage in its constitution — urged Australia to change its marriage laws: “We encourage Australia to take steps towards equal recognition of same-sex marriage.”
[showads ad=MREC]In their review of the country’s human rights record, Iceland and The Netherlands also said Australia had fallen behind other western countries by failing to recognise marriage equality.
The Netherlands recommended Australia “revise the Marriage Act of 1961 in a way that ensures full equality with respect to the civil institution of marriage. As a strong advocate of marriage equality and equal rights for all, The Netherlands notes that Australia’s Marriage Act de facto discriminates against LGBTI people”.
Meanwhile, Germany recommended Australia adopt national legislation prohibiting the sterilisation of intersex adults and children without their consent, especially in regards to surgeries on infants and the requirement for invasive surgery before gender markers can be changed on birth certificates.
Nonetheless, at the same meeting Australia voluntarily committed to removing the exemption for state and territory laws that is currently part of the federal Sex Discrimination Act, the national anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBTI people.
The commitment will reportedly take effect from July 31 next year and it is expected to impact on areas such as adoption and parenting laws, birth certificates and body searches of trans and intersex people.
Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby secretary Corey Irlam, who co-ordinated the briefing and lobbying on LGBTI issues as part of the Australian NGO Coalition, praised the federal government’s commitment to tackling discrimination.
“The effectiveness of our national discrimination law has been undermined by a blanket exemption for all state and territory laws, and it’s fantastic to see the federal government draw a line in the sand that will encourage states to update their statute books and remove discrimination once and for all,” he said.
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I really wish Australia will GET WITH THE PROGRAM and hurry up and allow marriage equality in 2016! Lets face it, Australia will probably never have marriage equality. Our society is way too conservative and slow on these things and full of bogan-heads who are always drunk to care (even within Parliament). A Civil Union Bill might be a better option instead at a federal level. Right here in Australia – WA, NT and SA still do not have a formal relationship scheme in place for couples of any sex. The western nations of Germany, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Guernsey, Australia, Columbia, Ecuador and Chile also still do not have marriage equality – remember we are not the only ones with a same-sex marriage ban in place now, the UN should know that for god sake! Australia you are an embarrassment to the western world. Also the great USA might have marriage equality in all 50 states – but completely lacks anti-discrimination protections in 28 US states on sexual orientation and 31 on gender identity!
Same-sex marriage = same-sex incestuous marriage
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I found this in the internet so you can share it:
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Garry Neilson. He is an Australian Judge who had an incest case before him, involving a brother and sister.
He said that he is finding it difficult to see why it is still illegal for two consenting adults to be involved with each other.
The medical reasons for it being illegal can be taken care of through contraception and abortion.
And the redefining of marriage to include homosexual couples meant that it was no longer possible to exclude alternative couples.
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Also the lawyer representing David Epstein, a Columbia University professor charged with incest involving his adult 24 year old daughter, alluded to the fact, of the decriminalization and legalizing of homosexuality and same sex marriage, as a basis for decriminalizing incest.
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Switzerland legislators have proposed decriminalizing consensual sexual relationships between first-degree relatives, including siblings and parents and their adult children.
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HOW CAN YOU TELL YOUR SON HE CAN’T MARRY HIS BROTHER?