What???? Kevin Rudds Not Anti Gay

[Glenn]

What on earth is it the gay community ALWAYS attacks conservatives DONT we all read or is it that you beleive that the KRUDD will give us any rights. The answer to that is NO so why dont we as a community just back off a little & let things settle. All governments of ALL political persuasions DONT give a damn. The gay community which I am NOT apart of because of its typical left wing leanings should do a big rethink & stop beleiving that it will ONLY BE THE LABOR PARTY that will do things for us but that would be like asking a leopard to change its spots. Come on lets get a debate going on here lets see where it gets us. Thanks guys:)

[jackie87]

I don't think the gay community particularly votes Labor, there has always been Dems, Greens and Clover Moore recording higher votes amongst the community.

I don't believe any of the major parties would do anything...look how terrible Morris Iemma has dealt with it in NSW on a state level and how union bosses still have the final say. If you read my article about Joe de Bruyn's whinge at the National Conference you will get the gist I'm not Labor's #1 fan.

Look at our poll results for who would you vote in the NSW election, I don't think hardly anyone put down Labor, most put down Greens and Independents.

[AussieG]

It's been pretty straight forward:

I terms of gay rights, historically Labor has done *some* work in the area.

I vote Green (preference going to Labor) - because it's the best way to give Labor a kick in the butt

Greens &Dems = Best
Labor = Middle
Liberal/National= Worst

[Tristianity]

stop beleiving that it will ONLY BE THE LABOR PARTY that will do things for us but that would be like asking a leopard to change its spots.

I'm with you on this one Glenn. Whats the point in voting for the greens and democrats when they just give their preferences to Labor anyway. I wouldn't say Liberal is the worst, i would say Labor is on par with Liberal on gay rights. Hence why they didn't oppose the marriage bill.

[Brunhilde]

The Prime Minister has now said that is going to try to get rid of all discriminatory parts of federal legislation. This will mean amending over sixty acts of parliament. Whilst, he still won't be legislating for gay marriage - he might as well do - we will have the same rights. He did this not because of ALP or Green pressure but because of pressure within the Liberal Party from Warren Entch, Peter Slipper, Malcolm Turnbull and a number of other Liberal luminaries. Some Liberals and Nationals are homophobic - no denying that. But so are some ALP members. However there are a number of coalition members who believe in equality and are fighting for it - even if it isn't a high priority (for some reason running the country is higher priority than gay rights for them).

[kylierose]

i'd vote for Peter Garrett as PM anyday

[AussieG]

The Coalition and Labour are NOT the same. Labor is not perfect, but most of the gay and lesbian law reform in the last 30yrs has come from the Labor Party at a state and Federal level.

This is from the Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby


1984
Labor Government develops progressive response to HIV/AIDS under Health Minister Neal Blewett. Despite vehement opposition from the National Party

1991
January- Paul Keating becomes the first Australian Prime Minister to offer a message of support to Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.

1992
November- Keating Government repeals the ban on lesbians and gays serving in the armed forces.

1993
Labor Federal government supports eliminating Tasmanian anti-gay laws in the

December- Federal Parliament passes the Commonwealth Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Bill introduced by Keating Government. Federal Opposition agrees not to oppose the Bill on the basis that they support the right to privacy.

1995
Keating Government introduces “interdependency visas” allowing same sex partners of Australian citizens to migrate to Australia.


1996
The Liberal/National Coalition Government forms under John Howard.

July - Howard Government slashes the number of “interdependency visas,” making migration for same sex couples far more difficult.



1998
February- Labor MP Albanese introduces a bill to extend Superannuation benefits to same sex couples.

1999
November- Labor MP Albanese again introduces a bill to extend Superannuation benefits to same sex couples.

2000
April- The Senate Select Committee on Superannuation and Financial Services examined Albanese's Bill and released its report. There were over 1200 submissions in favour of the Bill and only 5 submissions opposed it. The majority of the committee, made up of the Labor and Democrat Senators, supported the Bill, however, the Government Senators on the Committee wrote a minority report opposing the Bill.

July- In response to the McBain decision in Victoria finding that it is unlawful to exclude unmarried women from fertility services, John Howard tries to amend the Sex Discrimination Act to exclude lesbians and single heterosexual women from anti-discrimination protection in this area. Labor, Democrats and Greens ensure that the legislation does not pass the Senate.

2001
June- Labor MP Albanese again introduces a bill to extend Superannuation benefits to same sex couples.


2002
February- Attorney General Daryl Williams applies to have a court decision reversed that granted legal marriage status to a transsexual man and his wife.

March– Liberal MP Bill Heffernan accuses Justice Kirby of being a pedophile. John Howard, Attorney General Williams, and Treasurer Peter Costello stand by and refuse to defend Kirby. Heffernan’s “evidence” is eventually discredited by Senate Opposition leader John Faulkner and Heffernan is forced to stand down from his party position but remains an MP.
Later in the week Howard remarked that he is “conservatively tolerant” of gay people.




November- Attorney General Williams refuses the referral of powers from all the states which would allow the Family Court to hear property disputes of same sex couples.

2003
August– John Howard remarked to a Darwin radio station on gay marriage,
“I’m opposed to changing the law in Australia to give them the same status as marriage that we all understand in our society…
Treasurer Peter Costello echoes Howard’s sentiment, “Obviously people have relationships and they might be long term relationships between people of the same sex, but to have a marriage it has to be people of the opposite sex.”

September- UN Human Rights Commission declares Australia’s Federal Government in violation of equality and privacy rights under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights after denying a man a defacto spouse veteran’s pension based on his 38 year same sex relationship. The request from the UN that Australia take steps to treat same sex couples equally is ignored and when directly questioned the Attorney General says that the government is not bound by the ruling.

2004
March- John Howard condemns ACT adoption laws that allow same sex couples to adopt and considers using little used Commonwealth laws to override ACT laws. Howard states -
“I'm against gay adoption, just as I'm against gay marriage. I’m a social conservative…I think there are certain benchmark institutions and arrangements in our society that you don't muck around with. Children ideally should be brought up by a mother and a father who are married. That's the ideal."

- Mark Latham defends the rights of same sex couples to adopt.

April- Mark Latham declares Labor’s intention to widen the “mateship circle” which includes “respect for difference in our society: fairer treatment of same-sex couples”.

May– John Howard remarked on his gay marriage ban, “It does not discriminate against gay people…it is discriminating in favor of an institution which is basic to the cohesion of society.” Labor states it will oppose the ban on gay overseas adoptions, won’t oppose the gay marriage ban but it will ensure same sex couples are treated equally to opposite sex de factos.

June– John Howard repeatedly condemns ABC for running ‘a political agenda’ when it featured a lesbian couple on the children’s program Play School. Acting Prime Minister John Anderson said gays and lesbians should accept that their choice of “lifestyle” meant other life options were closed to them.

- Labor MP Albanese again introduces a bill to extend Superannuation benefits to same sex couples.

- Labor, with support from Greens and Democrats, sends Howard’s gay marriage ban to a Senate inquiry.


- The Howard Government, with support of the Democrats, amends the superannuation legislation to recognise “interdependency relationships” which will include many (but not all) same sex de facto couples.

- John Howard introduces for the third time the gay marriage ban into parliament.

August- Labor decides not to await the report of the Senate inquiry. Howard’s gay marriage ban passes with the support of the Labor Party.