Marriage ‘not most important reform’
A group of Coalition MPs have told Parliament that reforms to end discrimination against intersex and transgender Australians and older GLBTIs should be achieved before dealing with same-sex marriage.
During debate on a Greens motion calling on MPs to seek constituent views on same-sex marriage, Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said although he supported marriage equality, areas of graver need included, “where some individuals are unable to access the necessary Medicare rebate codes required to provide medical treatment because of the way the government sees their sex”.
“Government communication often still contains the prefix Mr rather than Mrs or Miss. For a transgender woman living in a rural town, this can cause enormous mental anguish as your neighbours find out about your past,” he said.
“Many older people … have lived a lifetime of discrimination and they continue to remain in the closet in aged care … and are therefore largely invisible in the aged-care sector.”
Entsch said that transfer of responsibility for aged care to the federal government provided a unique opportunity to address those issues.
He also announced the formation of a GLBTI Parliamentary friendship group and invited MPs from all parties to join.
The Liberal’s Teresa Gambaro echoed Entsch’s call on intersex, transgender and GLBTI ageing issues, despite not making clear whether she opposed or supported same-sex marriage, as did Malcolm Turnbull. All three voted against the Greens’ motion.
Entsch and Gambaro could not be reached for comment however, Turnbull told the Star Observer that while he was currently not an opponent or supporter of same-sex marriage, “if there are any remaining statutory legal discriminations then they should be addressed and we’re certainly very committed to that”.
Turnbull said he had not supported same-sex marriage in the past out of fear it could have jeopardised more practical reforms.
“You can run the risk of alienating people … and this is demonstrated in the United States where there was a backlash against gay marriage in many states, including California which actually passed referendums to prohibit gay marriage,” he said.
“I do recognise that traditional views of marriage and relationships have changed considerably over the years.”
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said a cross-party group on GLBTI issues would be “a good thing”.
However he would not comment on a News Ltd story claiming he and Penny Wong struck a deal with then prime minister Kevin Rudd to take civil unions to the 2010 election. Albanese said his on-the-record address to that conference showed where his objectives lay.
“I have a view that my relationship, because I happen to be heterosexual, is not undermined by someone else’s relationship because it is homosexual. I have a view that history is moving forward on these issues,” he told that conference.
Advocate for us – don’t think so!!!!
What a sell out he is to the gay community in his own federal seat of Wentworth – The problem with Malcom Turnbull is that he is a lying little prick – that is all!!!!
And the Liberal is offering what law reform and when? What date?
What is the date when all discrimination is ended? Spell it out please. Otherwise you are putting up a smoke screen against all the good and decent people who make up the GLBTI Community.
The wanka, and Malcom Turnbull, should be used together.
Alex Hawke (Liberal Party ex-religious right) spoke about same-sex marriage in parliament at 9-30pm on Monday night. His speech included these sentences:
“That does not mean that there is not a case to be made for civil unions. It does not mean that there is not a case for other forms of partnerships or relationships to be recognised by the government. In fact, that is a worthy objective. It is something that would see the support of many members in this place in order to move with the times.”
Could Malcolm please advise us whether Alex was speaking on behalf of Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party.
What is the Liberal Party’s intention in relation to federal civil unions?
Intrested in Intersex???? first i’ve heard of it. i am not aware of Mr Turnbul engaging with Intersex at any level.
Is this an attempt at doing a bit of a wedge with LGBTIQ ????
Not intrested. Marriage Equality has given Interses the widest most public exposure ever. We are all for full equality being addressed but I am not so sure of the sincerity of this declaration.
The continued hypocrisy of the main (and minor) political parties does not surprise me. The fact that both sides of our Federal Parliament blatantly ignore our Constitution and our common law rights clearly shows that even when we don’t pay our ‘representatives’ peanuts, we still get monkeys!
As to the Coalition tactic of digressing into other areas of discrimination – it is disingenuous. ‘Marriage equality’ is not just a gay and lesbian issue: it is a simple process of RETURNING one clause in the Marriage Act to what it was: ‘Marriage is defined as A UNION BETWEEN TWO PERSONS.’ This will clearly cover transgender and intersex people as well. And, I propose, this is one of the reasons the Coalition is stalling. They are not interested in ending discrimination…they are simply stonewalling it.
As to the question of minorities…we are ALL members of different minorities, and many overlap. Ethnic, religious, gender, orientation, vocational, social and so on, put the lie to ‘the majority.’
The fact remains that when we as a nation allow or condone the restriction of rights (and therefore remove the status of ‘right’ for one of a granted ‘privilege’) we enshrine discrimination against all minorities as permissable. And the naysayers to this will be surprised beyond measure when the light is shone on them and there is no one left to speak for them.
It’s a disgrace to our community that Intersex Infants being protected from Unethical surgical mutilation is still not on our main agenda while so much has been put into the vastly less important issue of Marriage. And that direct suicide prevention programs which especially hits Transgender people (37.7%-54% attempted suicide rate) are way down on the agenda. Or the violence rate when 38% of Queensland male-to-female Transgender people have been attacked with a knife bottle stone or other weapon!
But Transgender and Intersex peoples marriage rights are part of the marriage issue too. And now the marriage issue is before the vote its a pathetic excuse to vote against it just because other issues not before them to vote on are way more important. So they should vote for marriage equality anyway.
But it’s shame on the Liberals for not doing anything for Trans and Intersex already, and shame on our community for putting marriage ahead of such other important issues.
Surely, if Teresa Gambaro, Warren Entsch and Malcolm Turnbull feel that strongly about it, they can argue the point in their party room, or move a Private Member’s Bill to end the discrimination? Dependent on the wording and policy, I’m sure the Greens would support it.
I fail to see why we can’t do both. If they feel that strongly, put up or shut up. Otherwise, stop trying to wedge the GLBTIQ population and start talking to your electorates, start talking to each other and start doing something to end discrimination.
Of course Gay marraige is important. Why do you think conservatives across the board are so opposed to it? Its an issue that is about their power to impose their conservative views on the rest of society. In particular, in many Catholic countries (e.g. Spain) Gay marriage was followed by reforms to abortion laws. The Catholic church waged a furious campaign that failed totally.
What they really hate, is that along with their friends in the media, claims that any government that does’nt do as they say will cop a huge backlash proves to be a mirage!
greens are communists and will bankrupt australia
Is a Christian who vilifies us saying we are Evil etc in many post. He is upset the Greens are pushing to end discrimination.
The symbolism of Marriage Equality is hugely important in the fight to end the justification of all discrimination against our community. Governments will find it difficult to justify the discrimination against a married couple, especially in areas such as health. It will impact every area of discrimination leaving no stone unturned. It is something the public can easily understand.
I have written to Malcom Turnbull when was in government about the discrimination of our older citizens and got brushed off. It is not only the exemptions in the Equal Opportunity Act that faith based nursing homes have, there is a need for education of many nursing home staff. We have needed protection in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act for years. Years and years of a coalition government did not protect us, they created an environment where it was acceptable to discriminate against our older members of the community.
It was Malcom Turnbull that was in government for years and years and did not make any song and dance about this. You will have to forgive me about his crocodile tears now he is in opposition.
The Greens are the only party that is advocating for our protection in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act and an end to all discrimination. Many people voted Green to end discrimination. They will continue to march in the streets to end discrimination and gather community support. The Greens are making the major political parties have a think about discrimination. The push for marriage forces politicians makes them look at discrimination in other areas to justify their stance against Same-Sex Marriage. People say GBLTI people should marry but they should not be discriminated against in every other area. We are hearing this over and over now thanks to the battle for marriage equality. That battle goes on. Do not think for a moment the march in the streets for marriage is just about marriage.
Marriage equality gives our community a platform to talk about all discrimination. Often in interviews about marriage you will hear people raise all sorts of other areas of discrimination. Our community is using marriage equality as a platform to raise the public pressure, to end all discrimination, and it is working as we are having more and more public discussions that are not just about marriage. This is on television, the print media, and radio.
It is about equality and fairness for all Australians. We all benefit from this.
This is why some poltiicians do want us talking about Same-Sex Marriage. It is bringing up all discrimination. The demands for a fair go is working and having a huge effect.
The MP’s talking on this issue make a valid argument.
We wouldn’t be talking about marriage equality if the LGB part of LGBTI community hadnt achieved removal of discrimination in so many areas.
However the TI part of LGBTI still have a fair way to come on issues that are specific to T&I’s.
Why shouldn’t our community get behind them like they got behind LGB issues and deal with them now?
That being said – I think it’s a bit of a cop out to suggest that the Government can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
I note Turnbulls comments on ABC Lateline tonight were slightly different to that.
Any time an MP bothers to open their mouth and mention our elders and the horrific fear they endure in silence every day, I can only applaud. I was delighted to hear these comments from Warren Entsch and Teresa Gambaro. I frankly doubt that marriage equality will do anything much to change the lives of those in their 70s and 80s and 90s who are returning to the closet and de-gaying their houses for the home care workers. When will we march in the streets for them, and for the fact that they feel compelled to be invisible. Watch http://www.gensilent.com the trailer is online and tell me that there is a hierarchy of issues and aged care is not one of our most important and urgent issues. One day it will be you in that nursing home.
I saw thier speeches- this sudden out of the blue Liberal strategy of going on & on about Intersex this & Intersex that, was very obviously just a political strategy to ignore talking about gay couples.
Then Malcolm also rolled out the highly offensive “interdependent status” speech as well. Shame Malcolm on both counts, & shame Warren for buckling to this “party-line” cheap ploy.
Gays are being used as pawns to further the communist agenda of the Greens.
Malcolm Turnbull mentions California as an example of backlash against gay marriage. Does he know that, following a conservative victory on Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California, it was overturned as unconstitutional in August (pending appeal)?
(Of course, the Coalition isn’t too bothered by unconstitutional laws, as the shady example of their unfair ‘VoteChoices’ laws overturned by the High Court of Australia during the 2010 federal election campaign demonstrated.)
Does Malcolm even see the clear trend of same-sex marriage polls in Australia? Majority support, declining opposition. The recent Herald/Nielsen poll revealed only 37% opposed. This begs the question – why exactly do our democratically elected representatives continue to seemingly take their marching orders on this issue from a dwindling yet vocal minority of ‘straight supremacists’ and anti-equality religious lobbyists?
It would seem some conservative queens on the north shore have some work to do. It will be interesting to see the Community has engaged them so that they may feel empowered and part of the Community. Unfortunately contemporary notions of the ‘Community’ are not alien to to that of a ‘coterie’, to the exclusion of queens that might ally themselves with the Liberal party. We will only become community when we view our diversity as enriching.
At the other end of the spectrum, Turnbill’s wife is on the Board of the Bobby Gold-Smith Foundation. He is presenting an anathema. Further, Turnbill is involving himself in the process of stigma. What is more alarming is that it is commensurate with notions of reductiveness that Christopher Pearson expressed in The Australian on 20/11. It would seem the dries and their associations with conservative manifestations of organised religion still are dominant at a Federal level. I know there are a number of Liberal party members at a Federal level whom reject Turnbill’s opinion.
It’s true I think. Discrimination of older GLBTI folk is becoming (and will continue to be) a difficult issue. I hear many (admittedly anecdotal) stories of older men and women being ‘forced back into the closet’ when they are older and having to move into care, as we as a community still aren’t mature enough or have the resources rather, to have our own GLBTI aged care.
However, I also see the long term causal effect of allowing gay marriage as all these reforms will fade into memory after they’re brought in and therefore will help to shape the general communities attitudes hopefully eventually negating the current older LGBTI issues in aged care.
I’ve heard Malcolm can walk and chew gum at the same time.
How absurd the Liberals are to say they are uncertain if marriage inequality is discrimination! By any measure discrimination occurs if a person or group is treated differently from another person or group, i.e. when gay people can’t marry and straight people can.
And how absurd the Liberal Party is to suggest that legislation/marriage may not matter! If you legally prohibit gay and lesbian people from marrying, it sends a pretty strong message that they are second-class Australians.
And what exquisite cruelty it is to say to two people that they cannot marry and that their love is worth less. Even though they may live, sleep, eat, make love, grow old and die together.
So a vote for the Liberal Party is a vote to be treated as second-class Australians.
Well sorry but that is not for me, or my partner of 9 years. I will not vote for a party that wants to oppress me and deny me freedom and dignity because I exist.
Giving all in the GLBTI community full equality benefits everyone in the community by allowing all to fully participate in, and contribute to, society. The Liberals seem to think we should be denied equality and fairness. They have yet to learn what the words respect and dignity are. Until they have policies that demonstrate we are not second-class, they are not deserving of our vote.