Same-sex marriage races ahead

[crossfire]

Not in Australia's case. We're a free and secular society who choose not to allow gay marriage because...errr...I'm not sure there has ever BEEN a reason given.
We had an atheist PM, although we now have a very conservative and traditionally religious PM. Both have shown no ability to listen to the will of the people on this issue, and the people (frankly) haven't made it enough of an issue. So whilst there's broad support for marriage equality, it just doesn't seem a strong positive vote getter.

Instead she talked about how important 'conservative values' were to the building of this country. Which means how important centrist votes from older generations were for her chances of retaining office, I suppose.

Bah...still makes me want to vomit.

The ONLY defence I've seen of her position that isn't pure conservatism/religious in nature was actually a feminist perspective that spoke of not strengthening the patriarchal institution of marriage. Which I found politically naive apology, and overly reliant on particular versions of marriage to draw conclusions (Christian in the case of the article I read). Double bah!

Marriage can certainly be a patriarchal institution. Banning lesbians from it is hardly going to help break that down.
Would they argue to ban all people from it? No...let's just not add to the group doing it right now.
Let's ignore the legal differences in place for married versus unmarried couples.

Triple Bah!

*steps slowly away from soapbox*

Errr...yeah...so...

In Australia, you get fined if you don't vote, correct? Taking this into consideration, I suspect that this current PM will not get reelected.

 

[dgirl1986]

I was mad too. I think some of my friends were surprised HOW mad...lol.
Perhaps mad is the wrong word for me. Just really, incredibly frustrated.

Yeah after all the BS we wouldnt want to get married here now. Decided on san fransisco

 

[dgirl1986]

In Australia, you get fined if you don't vote, correct? Taking this into consideration, I suspect that this current PM will not get reelected.

People hated John Howard but they reelected him for some stupid reason back in the day.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

People hated John Howard but they reelected him for some stupid reason back in the day.

Lack of clear leadership on the part of any of the options.
Every time someone shows some leadership and vision the electorate seems to jump on them (even though that leadership is often a sham) but the dearth of high quality, and visionary leaders is quite telling.

Our system seems to slap down mistakes a lot harder than it rewards vision.

Our current PM would be a case in point of what I'm talking about.
As for Julia...she just seemed to be constantly checking herself, like she was trying to fit into some sort of mold.

Bah. Maybe I'll run.

 

[Shuttlecraft]

If gays simply called it "civil union" like they used to, nobody would bat an eye, but by calling it "marriage" they're understandably taking a lot of flak from annoyed straights for hijacking the word marriage..

 

[Castaigne]

If gays simply called it "civil union" like they used to, nobody would bat an eye, but by calling it "marriage" they're understandably taking a lot of flak from annoyed straights for hijacking the word marriage..

At least in the United States, civil unions are legally inferior to marriage, and any will, trust, or other legal instrumentation created in a civil union can be broken by 3rd parties, especially if they are blood-related. In contrast, marriage creates iron-clad legal instruments.

So if my gay nephew has a civil union with his partner, dies, and leaves everything in a will to his partner, then I, Uncle Castaigne (assuming I'm the only living blood relative), can contest that will in probate court....and nine times out of ten, break the will and legally bogart the estate. Why? I'm an uncle by blood relation, which is superior to the civil union with the partner.

 

[dgirl1986]

If gays simply called it "civil union" like they used to, nobody would bat an eye, but by calling it "marriage" they're understandably taking a lot of flak from annoyed straights for hijacking the word marriage..

That would be true if marriage was only used by christians but it is no longer just associated with religious unions. It can now be a secular thing to gain the same rights and social standing as other couples in society.

 

[dgirl1986]

At least in the United States, civil unions are legally inferior to marriage, and any will, trust, or other legal instrumentation created in a civil union can be broken by 3rd parties, especially if they are blood-related. In contrast, marriage creates iron-clad legal instruments.

So if my gay nephew has a civil union with his partner, dies, and leaves everything in a will to his partner, then I, Uncle Castaigne (assuming I'm the only living blood relative), can contest that will in probate court....and nine times out of ten, break the will and legally bogart the estate. Why? I'm an uncle by blood relation, which is superior to the civil union with the partner.

Exactly.

This has happened with children that same sex couples have raised together as well.

 

[Father Heathen]

If gays simply called it "civil union" like they used to, nobody would bat an eye, but by calling it "marriage" they're understandably taking a lot of flak from annoyed straights for hijacking the word marriage..

When homosexuals have dinner, are they "hijacking" the word from heterosexuals? Gays should settle with "evening time food consumption".

 

[Maldini]

Anything other than total equality is unacceptable and inhumane.

 

[columbus]

If gays simply called it "civil union" like they used to, nobody would bat an eye, but by calling it "marriage" they're understandably taking a lot of flak from annoyed straights for hijacking the word marriage..

There was a time, here in the USA, when gays would have been thrilled to settle for a second rate legal status. But the Christians railed against such an affront to God and all that is decent and tried to incorporate their views into various constitutions. So the fight continued and now gay people are going to get the same rights everybody else has. Young people tend to be embarrassed by the fuss their Christian elders are putting up. Makes Christianity look primitive, mostly.

Don't know what you Brits are up to. But my understanding is that Christianity doesn't need help looking bad over there. Just a thought.

Tom

 

[Shuttlecraft]

..Don't know what you Brits are up to. But my understanding is that Christianity doesn't need help looking bad over there. Just a thought..

If by 'Christianity' you mean Organised Religion, yes the big bosses and many congregations are a bunch of no-hopers which is why I don't go to church.
But remember, they're NOT Christianity, JESUS is Christianity, and he never said a word about gays/lesbians/trannies one way or another, so your beef is with Org Rel, not with JC..

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If gays simply called it "civil union" like they used to, nobody would bat an eye, but by calling it "marriage" they're understandably taking a lot of flak from annoyed straights for hijacking the word marriage..

Civil unions were prohibited in a number of states, some with constitutional amendments.

At least in the case of Ohio (I believe it was Ohio), they were so quick to ban civil unions that the law they enacted banning "marriage-like benefits" that they failed to realize that their hasty law would let a number of domestic abusers off the hook, since protection under the state's spousal abuse statute was deemed to be a "marriage-like benefit" and therefore prohibited to unmarried couples.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

trannies

That's a slur.

 

[Shuttlecraft]

Originally Posted by Shuttlecraft
trannies..

That's a slur.

Sorry, I'm English and perhaps we see words differently.
Do you prefer the harder less friendly word 'transexual'?
And how about gays, do you prefer the word 'homosexual'?

Incidentally I once dated a tranny...(oops sorry),--a transexual-- named Zoe, she used to be a male pipe fitter for British Gas and was a dead ringer for Counsellor Troi..

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Sorry, I'm English and perhaps we see words differently.

It's a slur in Britain, too:

Talksport apologises over ‘tranny army’ Scotland football team slur · PinkNews.co.uk

 

[Shuttlecraft]

The Scotch are nothing to do with England..

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The Scotch are nothing to do with England..

TalkSport broadcasts from London.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Sorry, I'm English and perhaps we see words differently.
Do you prefer the harder less friendly word 'transexual'?
And how about gays, do you prefer the word 'homosexual'?

Incidentally I once dated a tranny...(oops sorry),--a transexual-- named Zoe, she used to be a male pipe fitter for British Gas and was a dead ringer for Counsellor Troi..

"Tranny" is to trans people what "f****t" is to gay men. We call ourselves transgender and/or transsexual.

 

[Shuttlecraft]

It works both ways, for example straights could decide the word "straight" is an offensive slur, and demand to be called heterosexuals..