Since the US Supreme Court declared same sex marriage was legal, conservatives in Australia have been well and truly losing their shit over this issue.
In an opinion piece in Fairfax Media, Tasmanian Coalition Senator Eric Abetz declared that the media was biased in its reporting of the issue, declaring that while the Supreme Court decision was an act of judicial activism by an unrepresentative bunch of judges, we had overlooked a legislative vote in Austria where the Austrian legislature overwhelmingly voted against same sex marriage.
In his view, laws should reflect the will of the people, not the judiciary or the media. Unfortunately, Senator Abetz ignores the fact that our federal legislature is completely demographically unrepresentative of Australia since its dominated by middle-aged, straight, white men and every poll on the issue suggest more than two thirds of Australians support marriage equality, and this figure is only increasing every year. In other words, laws should reflect the will of the people currently elected to the Parliament, not the will of the Australian people themselves.
Senator Abetz himself of course invokes the Austrian legislative vote against same sex marriage, and the protests in France and Italy to justify his position that there is a significant mainstream movement of people who oppose gay and lesbian people getting married. However, he conveniently failed to mention the very recent referendum in Ireland where the will of the people saw marriage equality prevail with nearly three-quarters of the votes.
When conservatives reel out their opposition to same sex marriage, invariably there are a number of arguments raised to justify their position. Firstly, there is the old slippery slope argument that if we allow gay and lesbian couples to marry that pretty soon we’re paving the way for polygamous marriages or worse.
Secondly, there is the argument that marriage is the social institution at the bedrock of families, and protecting marriage from the gays somehow ensures children won’t be born without both their natural parents. “Study after study, time and time again, shows that children benefit from having a father and mother,” wailed Senator Abetz, “That is the foundation that marriage provides, and has provided for millennia. The institution of marriage has stood the test of time. For our children’s sake it needs to continue to do so.”
Of course, Senator Abetz ignores the obvious truth that the right to marry and the right to procreate are not in fact one and the same. Plenty of children are born to unwed parents all the time both to single parents and to unmarried de facto couples. Plenty of married couples can’t or don’t have children.
Most importantly, the Howard-era ban on same sex marriage has not stopped same sex couples from having children, and the horse has well and truly bolted on that one. Of the estimated 50,000 same sex couples in Australia, nearly 20 per cent are already raising children. Numerous studies have found that children of same sex couples are just as well adjusted as those from heterosexual parents. The toughest thing about being a gayby it turns out is dealing with homophobia towards your family.
As openly gay Senator Penny Wong (herself a mother of two children) put it on ABC radio: “Memo to Eric: we’ve already got children, all you are doing is saying the parents can’t be married.” In other words, allowing same sex couples to marry won’t lead to more divorces or fewer heterosexual marriages or more single parent families.
While Senator Abetz was hand wringing about the rights of children, Senator Barnaby Joyce had an even more creative reason for not allowing same sex marriage in Australia: Asia will think we’re “decadent”.
Despite the fact that every other developed English speaking country in the world has now allowed same sex marriage and many other countries besides, Barnaby Joyce argues that because our Asian neighbours have yet to legalise it, Australia shouldn’t either (I wonder if on this basis Senator Joyce thinks we should adopt the social and cultural policies of our Asian neighbours, such as majority Muslim Indonesia or Malaysia, or the one-child policy in China).
For now, the single biggest obstacle isn’t Asia – who frankly couldn’t give a shit what Australia does with its own domestic social policies – but our own neoconservative Catholic Prime Minister.
After both the ALP and the Greens introduced private member’s bills on same sex marriage, Tony Abbott declared that should the issue come to a vote it should be a bipartisan bill, but has since poured cold water on an attempt to bring the vote to ahead.
Now, a cross-bench bill is being put forward by a multi-party consortium including Liberal backbencher Warren Enstsch and Labor MP Terry Butler has been tabled to be introduced on Tuesday August 11 and is due to be put to the Liberal party room on Tuesday August 18. While 60 of 80 Labor MPs are expected to support marriage equality, the Coalition would need a free vote in order for the bill to pass.
This Friday July 10 at Little & Olver CLOSET celebrates six years and nearly 50 parties with its own birthday bash which promises the usual golden gay times with some birthday surprises. The lineup includes a debut from LA Pocock – who is the man behind the Northside Sunday session Daydreams who is fresh from playing everywhere from Dark Mofo to Golden Plains, Sugar Mountain to Camp Nong. He is joined by M.A.F.I.A., JLAW, Mimi, Salvador Darling and Tali. For the birthday bash, partygoers of all persuasions are encouraged to dress up in honour of the party’s spirit animal Freddie Mercury. Entry is $15 on the door. Doors open 10pm until late. Early arrivals will be treated to a free glass of sparkling from 10pm – 11pm.
Hairy chested party THICK N’ JUICY return to the Laird for a schoolyard-themed School Reunion Party. The long-running men’s only party will see Peter McNamara on decks along with Grank Cook, Magnus and Damien Mack on the decks and performances by James Welsby. The whole Laird will also be packed with jocks, quarterbacks, cheerleaders, freaks, geeks, Plastics and Heathers. Tickets are $25 presale or $35 on the door (until sold out). Doors open from 8pm at The Laird Hotel, 149 Gipps Street, Abbotsford.
Once upon a time, Northcote was the lesbian capital of Melbourne (if not Australia before Newtown took that trophy), but these days the Sapphically inclined seem to be found all over town from Windsor to Yarraville to Preston. However, Fanny’s at Franny’s is a Sunday social catering to the original north side sisterhood. Their monthly Sunday social will be held on Sunday July 12 from 5pm – 1am with DJs Dubdarko, Estee Louder and MacAtk, along with ping pong and winter bevvies. Franny’s at Francesca’s, 222 High Street, Northcote. Free entry from 5pm – 7pm, $5 after 7pm.
