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South Australia likely to move towards marriage equality along with Tasmania
August 14, 2012
By Jacob Combs
Earlier this month, I wrote that Tasmania looked likely to become the first Australian state to offer equal marriage rights to gays and lesbians following a speech by Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings to her party conference vowing to introduce marriage equality legislation in the government’s next term. This week, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill followed Giddings’s lead, according to The Australian, telling a rally in Adelaide that he will push for marriage equality in his state:
On the steps of Parliament House, Mr Weatherill said he would support a Greens bill and allow Labor MPs a conscience vote.
“People should be entitled to express their own identity in any way they wish and the law shouldn’t become a barrier to prevent them from doing that,” he said.”So, from my perspective, it’s a simple question of the dignity of the individual.
“People should be entitled to express their identity in any way they wish and the law shouldn’t get in the way.”
Also this week, Prime Minister Julia Gillard surprised Australia’s LGBT community by agreeing to deliver the keynote speech at a national meeting of the Australian Christian Lobby, an anti-gay group that has made statements in the past comparing gays and lesbians to pedophiles and Nazis.
Marriage equality at the national level in Australia faces a major hurdle in Prime Minister Gillard, who opposes equal marriage rights even though her majority Labor Party changed its platform last year to include marriage equality. Because of Australia’s parliamentary system, it is incredibly difficult for marriage legislation to pass without Gillard’s stamp of approval, which is why state-level governments are stepping in to be at the forefront of LGBT equality in the country.
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6 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
wes228 | August 14, 2012 at 11:10 am
What the hell is going on in Gillard's head? She's a liberal atheist yet anti-gay. It boggles my mind.
2.
Nickey J | August 14, 2012 at 12:39 pm
<img src="http://www.goldstoressite.com/shop/listz/ud.jpg">Congratulations, they're doing the right thing! <img src="http://www.goldstoressite.com/shop/listz/ho.jpg">
3.
Tyler O. | August 14, 2012 at 1:43 pm
This goes to show you not all homophobia is rooted in religion. My grandmother was at the very best agnostic yet one of the most anti-gay people I've ever met….until I came out of the closet that is.
4.
Bob Barnes | August 14, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Most prejudices are not rooted in religion, they're just justified with religion.
5.
JayJonson | August 15, 2012 at 6:57 am
The main reason Gillard is opposing ssm is that she has a one-vote majority coalition. There are some Labor religious MPs. She, undoubtedly, made some kind of commitment to them when she became head of the Labor Party in a coup. If any of them bolt on the issue of ssm, her government falls, she will lose her position as head of the Labor Party, there will be an election that she might lose, etc. On the other hand, she is playing a dangerous game, for there are rumbles within the Labor coalition. She is likely to be challenged from within the Party, and the two Greens who caucus with Labor may withdraw their support.
6.
JayJonson | August 15, 2012 at 7:01 am
BTW, the real obstacle to ssm in Australia is not Gillard, but Tony Abbott the head of the LIberals (who are not very liberal). Whereas Gillard is allowing the Labor Party a conscience vote on ssm (and a large majority of the Labor Party will vote in favor of a private member's bill legalizing ssm), Abbott will NOT allow his coalition a conscience vote. If he would permit a conscience vote, about a third of his coalition would vote in favor, and the bill would pass. But he has promised to whip his MPs into voting no.
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