Last week, the 82-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg showed why she is worshipped by liberal fans as “the Notorious RBG” when she eviscerated conservative opponents of same sex marriage in hearings on whether bans on same sex marriage are unconstitutional. When the court began debating about overturning centuries of tradition, Ginsburg retorted: “Marriage today is not what it was under the common law tradition, under the civil law tradition. Marriage was a relationship of a dominant male to a subordinate female. That ended as a result of this court’s decision in 1982 when Louisiana’s Head and Master Rule was struck down… would that be a choice that state should [still] be allowed to have? To cling to marriage the way it once was?”
Ginsburg also smacked down arguments given by same sex marriage opponents that marriage should be about children (and therefore should be restricted to heterosexual couples) by arguing that 70-year-olds are allowed to marry, as well as dismissing arguments that gay couples being allowed to marry would somehow diminish the rights or spell the end of straight marriages. “All of the incentives, all of the benefits that marriage affords would still be available,” said Ginsburg. “So you’re not taking away anything from heterosexual couples. They would have the very same incentive to marry, all the benefits that come with marriage that they do now.”
While we will have to wait till June to see if she managed to persuade her fellow Justices, even same sex marriage opponents expect that the plaintiffs – more than two dozen same sex couples for four states with bans on same sex marriage – will win a historic victory that would see marriage equality in all 50 US states.
Meanwhile, this month Ireland are preparing for a historic referendum on the issue of same sex marriage. On May 22, the people of Ireland will be given the opportunity to vote on the issue, a controversial move in the minds of many who believe minority rights shouldn’t be left in the hands of the majority.
Hundreds of thousands of Irish citizens – particularly young Irish people – live overseas and many of them live in Australia. While those Irish people, many of whom would be most likely to support the Yes vote in favour of equality, can’t vote, there are campaigners in Australia trying to encourage Irish ex-pats to phone home to encourage their parents and grandparents to support the referendum. To throw your weight behind the Irish campaign, visit the Irish Yes Equality Australia’s Facebook page facebook.com/yesequalityaus.
If the referendum passes in staunchly Catholic Ireland, Australia will literally be the trophy holder for the last English-speaking developed country in the world where same sex marriage is not allowed. Let that thought sink in for a minute.
As Concita Wurst graced the red carpet at the Logies – outclassing many of the cisgendered ladies in the process – there was another victory for trans rights when transgender Australian model Andreja Pejic became the first transgender model in history to be profiled in Vogue in its May issue. The 23-year-old born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and raised in Broadmeadows before being discovered by a modelling scout in McDonald’s transitioned last year.
Gay disco The Outpost returns after their February party to The Gasometer this weekend with legend Pete Kung, Steven Weir and Flawless scene queen Whiskey Houston on the decks from 9pm till 3am in The Gasometer’s revamped retracted band room. As usual, the Outpost is a mixed affair welcoming LGBT people who love a bit of disco. The Gasometer, cnr Smith Street and Alexandra Parade in Collingwood. $15 on the door.
Three of the biggest queer party promoters in Australia CLOSET, Thursgay and Sydney’s GiRLTHING have announced they will be coming together to throw one big fuck off party on Sunday June 7, on the Queen’s Birthday weekend. YASS QWEEN! will take place over the entire two floors of Roxanne Parlour and the Charltons in Coverlid Place in the CBD (just off Little Bourke in Chinatown). The first announcement of the lineup has just dropped and includes the likes of Total Giovanni playing a DJ set, Misty Nights, Mafia, Salvador Darling and many more. Early birds and presale tickets for just $10-15 will go on sale this week, and with over 1000 people already attending on Facebook, they are sure to go like hotcakes. Don’t worry if you miss out there will be entry available on the door. For full details, visit facebook.com/yassqween.
