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The Australian Senate is currently having an inquiry into this issue and below is my submission.
Would you like to make one? If so, go here, they make it easy and they have plenty of information for you to read if you want to inform yourself a bit more about the issues. Submissions close on 28 August 2009.
Dear Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee,
This is my submission to your inquiry into marriage equality. I fully endorse the submission made by Australian Marriage Equality in favour of the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009.
I think that is discriminatory and embarrassing that we still deny a significant proportion of our community the equal right to marry in our country. Marriage remains an important cultural symbol of commitment and love in our society. It is the traditional way that we not only celebrate this love and commitment, but also that we symbolise the creation of a family and the adoption of someone's life partner in their extended family. Everyone should have the option of taking part in this ceremony and of having the capacity to make this important statement of their love and commitment to their family and friends.
Additionally, marriage carries with it social and legal privileges that should not be denied to anyone on the basis of their sexuality. While some of these legal privileges, such as the right to access superannuation, have (finally) recently been extended to same-sex defacto couples, many of these privileges are difficult to replicate, and equal access to marriage remains a necessary step to ensure full equality.
Equal access to marriage is a human rights issue and the passing of this Bill is an important step towards Australia becoming a country that respects the human rights of all of its citizens, regardless of their sexuality.
Yours sincerely,
Cristy Clark
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