Today is a sad day for equality in our country. Julia Guillard has hidden behind granting a ‘conscience vote’ for same sex marriage rather than lending it her full party’s support, knowing full well that it is as good as voting no on the issue.
The level of disappointment I feel can not easily be expressed within words. In bowing down to the Australian Christian Lobby, (which lets face it, is what’s happening here), the Prime Minister is signalling the overall failure of our traditional 2 party system to look after the needs our citizens.
Historically, our two federal parties have kept each other in check, balancing each other out – with the Liberal parties traditionally strong in the financial management of the country, while the Labor party has looked out for our humanitarian concerns. Yet here we are, having had many financially prosperous years under the former Liberal party looking towards our Labor party leaders to address the humanitarian needs of this country and finding ourselves bitterly disappointed. The ‘Malaysian solution’ Julia so proudly put forward and seems intent on defending, even beyond its logical death, is absolutely abominable.
Not learning her lesson from this, however, Julia has today punctured the lungs of the movement for marriage equality it gasping for air. Make no mistake, this is a humanitarian issue. For the ACL, Julia’s decision to bow before them in a (I believe flawed) attempt to attract votes, is a victory of little consequence. Tomorrow and every day after, they can wake up and marry their partners, just as they did yesterday and the day before. This is the same outcome, I might add, that they would have if same sex marriage had have been granted.
However, for those campaigning for equality, the decision is so much greater. It segregates the gay community from society and prevents them from being able to have what every other citizen has a law protected right too – marriage.
Marriage may be the end goal here, but more important that the symbol of marriage is the feeling of acceptance. I have personally been extremely lucky in the way I have been treated growing up gay – I have had fantastic support from family in friends. Yet, as lucky as I have been, there is an incredible amount of uncertainty, stress and worry that I have faced that heterosexual people have not had to. You never need to ‘come out’ as a heterosexual, you would never get told ‘you’re too young to know’ or ‘perhaps it’s a phase you will grow out of’. All of these things may be done with good intentions, but the underlying message it sends is that there’s something wrong with you that will hopefully change. Of course, things get easier – those comments eventually stop, and your family and friends (hopefully) accept the situation and even support you, but the message being sent today by the government is that same sex attracted couples are tolerated by society but not truly accepted. I can only feel for all of the GLBT youths who have had a harder time than I have – who have battled a lack of acceptance from their family, friends and colleagues all their lives who are now facing a lack of acceptance from their own government. Little wonder that the youth suicide rate is so high amongst this particular group of people.
So yes, today the ACL can revel in their victory. Once again, marriage is set to remain off limits to same sex couples, and the GLBT community can continue to be treated as second class citizens. I can only hope that in time they learn what a hollow victory it is.
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