I just don’t understand why so many people are frightened by gay people and gay marriage. It has always been a mystery to me that gay partnerships cannot be recognized in the same manner as other partnerships.
Well - I do understand (but of course do not accept) the religious objection - but there are other people who are against because it’s - well different. It might do something to us. We are not sure what but it scares us.
Marriage is a convention with its origins in religion. The churches may never allow gay marriage - but a man and a woman carried be married in a civil ceremony without intervention by the church.
This is indeed possible in some countries. Why are people afraid of this?How could it possibly threaten ‘traditional’ marriages between a man and a woman?
People have expressed surprise that Julia Gillard does not support the legalization of gay marriage. She is quoted as saying on a radio show in Australia.
"We believe the marriage act is appropriate in its current form, that is recognizing that marriage is between a man and a woman, but we have as a government taken steps to equalize treatment for gay couples," Ms Gillard said.
I don’t think it is strange at all. She is trying to get elected and knows she already has an uphill struggle with the Christian vote because she is an Atheist. Gay marriage is probably a step too far at this election.
What I also do not find strange is that openly gay Labor Minister for Climate Change Penny Wong says she agrees with her party’s opposition to same sex marriage.
"On the issue of marriage I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious, historical view around that which we have to respect," she told Network Ten on Sunday. The party's position is very clear that this is an institution that is between a man and a woman."
Senator Wong said she respected Labor's view of marriage as an institution between a man and a woman.
"I am part of a party and I support the party's policies."
People are getting their knickers in a knot about this but do they really expect that just before an election - when Christian groups will be actively and virulently lobbying against the Labor Party - this would be the time to make a stand on principle about gay marriage.
Gay people are up in arms and are writing to the Sydney Morning Herald saying they will not vote for the Labor Party in the election because of the party’s stand on gay marriage.
Can they be serious? Don’t they understand politics? Like gay marriage will be possible under a Liberal government led by Tony Abbott?
Mr Abbott is a Catholic fundamentalist. Gayness is against the laws of god. Gay marriage could never ever be possible under his leadership.
Indeed - he may move to make gayness illegal again and burn gay people at the stake.
Or pray for all the gay people - that may work. Some Christians say gayness can be cured with prayer. If only it were the same for stupidity.
Crazy! And there are situations where (for example, two siblings who live togther to see out their latter years) when the legal benfits bestowed by a "marriage" would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteIt may boil down to semantics. If (as one of our noble Bishops asserted) the formal definition of the word marriage is a union between a male and a female, then you need some other word that encompasses the equivalent state in same-sex partnerships. The expression Civial Partnershp has been coined in Greatest Britain but getting down on one knee after a candle-lit dinner with dia in box saying: "Darling will you be my civil partner" doesn't quite have the same effect somehow.
Don't know where the 'mond' in my diamond went to!
ReplyDeleteThis happens before every election in the States as well. The right prods at gay marriage, trying to bring it up as an electoral issue, knowing it will be divisive, knowing that gay rights groups will lobby the democrats to support them, etc. Like clockwork.
ReplyDeleteLynette and I have been together for 11 years, and have raised her three kids to be good, compassionate, cultured, happy young adults. We've been through a great deal together through the years that we've been together: illness, near-death, separation from children, poverty, discrimination, and alienation from her family. In the past 10 years her ex-husband has married and divorced three times, allowed one of his exes to physically and emotionally abuse the kids, has developed an addiction to pornography, and is now on fiancee #4. His kids don't like him and can only rely on him if he's between women. I must add that he's also a right-wing, conservative, born-again Southern Baptist minister.
ReplyDeleteAnd we can't get married. Exactly WHO is destroying the "sanctity" of marriage here?
Thanks for this post Badger. Nice to know you're in our corner.
Maalie: Excellent idea
ReplyDeleteWanderlust: Too true.
Steph: Every person who does not believe in the invisible man in the sky should be with you.
Thank you for posting something on this topic that makes sense. I don't understand the current 'debate' either. People decrying Labor because of this issue make me wonder if there is a better alternative to democracy in its current form. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to vote.
ReplyDelete