Same-Sex Marriage In Australia?

Local News, By mickel_23, 21st February, 2009

Same sex marriage is finally being recognised in Australia – but there’s a catch. One half of the couple must be transgender.

The situation applies to straight married couples, where one half decides to transition from one gender to the other. In the past these marriages would have been annulled under a “state enforced divorce”, however as of July 1 this will no longer be the case.

The change was brought about by the Same Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws) Act 2008.

The policy was confirmed by the Federal Attorney-General’s Department in a letter to the founder and president of Changeling Aspects, a Queensland-based support group for transsexuals, Kathy Noble.

Peter Arnaudo from the department wrote: “While the reforms do not expressly address the sex or gender diversity of specific individuals, they ensure that … a transgender individual who remains married after surgery will not be deemed to be no longer married, as a result of the reforms.”

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Your Thoughts

Asherbella

said ages ago

I just merely don't see why us or them see marriage as anything important. Marriage is more or less the epitome of Hetero privilege. If it can be deconstructed and be replaced with a more "across the board" form of a relationship recognission process for both Straights and Queers, then I would support that. Marriage HAS BEEN more or less the epitome of hetero (why are you spelling the word hetero with a capital 'H'?) privilege BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE! A diluted form of marriage for gays is NOT equality under the law.

Asherbella

said ages ago

I just merely don't see why us or them see marriage as anything important. Marriage is more or less the epitome of Hetero privilege. If it can be deconstructed and be replaced with a more "across the board" form of a relationship recognission process for both Straights and Queers, then I would support that. I don't see any 'hetero privilege' here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAUWFeqmg0E

rudeboy86

said ages ago

I have made my point quite clear that the concept of marriage both for same-sex couples and heteros is flawed in its tradition, history, values and sentiments. Let be known however I am not against love. I do believe in that but I don't see why the state should be involved in it.

Asherbella

said ages ago

What about the laws linked to marriage that would protect gays & lesbians concerning superannuation entitlements, life insurance, taxation threshold refunds, adoption, custody rights, medical insurance, access to pensions?

Bren

said ages ago

For some people, maybe it's not about assimilation but about liberation. The freedom to choose. A victory of human values over heteronormative ones. Plenty of glbtq couples already live a married life in all but the legal sense. My guess is they do so not motivated by abstract notions of heteronormativity but by an appreciable human need for companionship. So my question is, why shouldn't those relationships be equally protected, respected and affirmed by the laws of this nation? Why shouldn't those who want marriage have that choice? What is all the fuss about? And why on earth would you hold the relationship aspirations of others in such contempt (eg. "bourgeois assimilationists") to the extent that you would seemingly prefer to delay or deny your own community's right to freely choose (or not choose) marriage? Actually that is "quite selfish come to think of it". To be blunt: [URL="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204636989"]Against Gay Marriage? Then Don't Get One and Shut the Fuck Up

rudeboy86

said ages ago

If you particularly want to go pursuing the right to marry then go right ahead. I am not exactly standing in the way regardless of how much I hate the institution in itself. All I am trying to say is that there are a fuck of a lot more important issues that face the GBLTI community that we have to pay a little more attention to. We seem to be stuck on one bloody issue that wont exactly save lives or improve visibility as of such because we are supposed to stand out in society. I am quite fond of the idea of deconstructing society's institutions that discriminate against those that don't fit in with the gender binary or heterosexual mould. The deconstruction of marriage would benefit everybody across the spectrum. It should not be the only avenue in which a couple can aquire superannuation entitlements, insurance of all sorts, adoption rights, custodial rights and all the rest.

Asherbella

said ages ago

It's one thing to *hate* the institution of marriage but you also seem to hate anybody who doesn't agree with you.

rudeboy86

said ages ago

Not entirely Asher...it just gets frustrating to see that this seems to be the one main issue that our community is wrapped up with when there are more pressing issues at hand here. I dont exactly hate people who disagree with me. I merely dislike people who don't know how to appreciate debate within the community and then go about accusing me of saying things that I didn't by twisting my words around. I have a rather odd predicament when it comes to people....I hate people in general and I find them to be pathetic on the most part however considering my Marxist-based background I see the importance of people in regards to having the potential to change the way we live for the better and to reconstuct society to allow all to be relatively harmonious...the ones that get in the way of this process just merely piss me off. *kicks heels up and yawns* bedtime I think...

Bren

said ages ago

That doesn't really square with your earlier contemptuous remarks. Ridiculing and opposing marriage equality (or anyone who aspires to it) is "standing in the way". Moreover... ... is also standing in the way and counterintuitive. The inclusion of same-sex couples in the institution of marriage arguably helps deconstruct hetero-norms (in the same way that interracial marriage helped deconstruct ethno-norms). Still wondering why you apparently think GLBTQ relationships shouldn't be equally protected, respected and affirmed by the laws of this nation? Why those who want marriage shouldn't have that choice? I fully agree. Rodney Croome and others have been advocating that very view for quite a while now and that's what the groundbreaking Tasmanian Relationships Act is aimed at achieving (to the maximum extent that State law can) :)

poolboy jackson

said this arvo

Dan Heagney aka PakisDan of the US (though he visited Victoria recently) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcn0KEuyWk

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