Former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally is the latest MP to publicly confirm their support for equal marriage rights.

In last night’s live episode of the ABC’s Q&A, Keneally (pictured first) responded to a question about gay marriage. “Labor and Liberal make the argument that the family is the basic building block of society,” she began. “We all know that married families have a whole range of benefits – they live longer, they make more money. A whole bunch of studies back that up.

“Then why, why, why, don’t we grant all families the right to be married?”

We have an atheist Prime Minister and a Catholic Leader of the Opposition, she added, and yet they have the same view about gay marriage – that it’s just between a man and a woman. “I’m Catholic and I don’t agree with either of them. I’ve got to say – let’s have that debate about gay marriage.”

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WELCOME WORDS

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener Alex Greenwich says Keneally’s statement highlights that marriage equality is pro-family and pro-marriage.

“Ms Keneally’s support for marriage equality is a reminder that allowing same-sex marriages is about strengthening family bonds and upholding the values of marriage,” he reacts.

“Given Ms Keneally’s strong, publicly-declared Catholicism, her statement also shatters the myth that politicians with strong Christian beliefs are against same-sex couples marrying.”

“I urge all politicians who believe in family values to follow Ms Keneally’s example by supporting this reform.”

GAY DEBATE

Last night’s discussion of gays and marriage on Q&A threw up several other interesting quotes.

Fellow panellist Jim Wallace (pictured second) of the Australian Christian Lobby noted that “all people are loved by God”, but reminded us that “homosexuality is seen as a sin in the gospel.” He denied the Christian Lobby was homophobic, but said he believed “the gay agenda has gone too far.”

“When you have a single man able to adopt a child through surrogacy, I think it’s gone too far,” he further announced. Wallace also took issue with the idea of a birth father of a child being erased from a birth certificate in favour of two lesbian mothers – creating what he called a “biological myth.”

“Marriage is between a man and a woman,” he added. “It doesn’t matter how good two lesbians may be as parents, they cannot be a mother and a father to a child.”

Meanwhile, fellow panellist philosopher Raymond Gaita joined Kristina Keneally in declaring his support for marriage equality.

“It is not an exaggeration to say it [the denial of the right to marry] is a denial of their full humanity,” he summed up.

Philosopher and writer Raimond Gaita agreed, even going so far as describing restrictions on the recognition of gays relationships as “a denial of their full humanity.”

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