Australia to outlaw gay marriage

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » 2004-05-27 03:17am

ABC

We knew this was coming from Howard, yet another policy he has stolen from Bush. What really disappoints me is that labor is refusing to take a stand against the government on this issue. This means it will almost certainly be passed. if Labor wer to block it, I am certain the minor parties, and most of the independents wouldn't have supported the move and it would not have a chance of getting through. So the blame for this falls on both the Labor party and the Liberal Party, looks like I'll be forced to vote Progressive Alliance in everything next election.

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2004-05-27 04:25am

And in other news Howard's chaffed lips linked to his blatant cock sucking of the US President!

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-05-27 04:27am

Fuck this.

You know what was really funny (and no, I don't mean 'funny ha-ha')? When I read the first part, I automatically decided "I'm not going to vote Liberal next election."

Five SECONDS LATER, the Labor party reveals itself to be full of shitheads.

Congratulations, donkey voting here I come.

I'll either go Democrats or nothing at all. Maybe if there's an independent, but somehow I doubt it.

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2004-05-27 04:44am

I wasn't even going to bother with my allowed postal vote until now, but after both Howard and Latham pulling this, I feel like I have to make some sort of protest vote against them. But who the hell to vote for? The Democrats haven't been libertarians for years, and they're hardly honest themselves anymore. The Greens are, with the exception of maybe the Tasmanian branch, a load of idealistic fools. Any party linked to the old One Nation group (That includes the "Progressive Alliance", doesn't it?) would likely support this bill anyway....who the hell is left? I suppose Democrats are the best of a bad bunch, but I just feel they'd screw up everything else if they had half the chance (look what they did to the GST).

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » 2004-05-27 04:50am

Archaic` wrote:I wasn't even going to bother with my allowed postal vote until now, but after both Howard and Latham pulling this, I feel like I have to make some sort of protest vote against them. But who the hell to vote for? The Democrats haven't been libertarians for years, and they're hardly honest themselves anymore. The Greens are, with the exception of maybe the Tasmanian branch, a load of idealistic fools. Any party linked to the old One Nation group (That includes the "Progressive Alliance", doesn't it?) would likely support this bill anyway....who the hell is left? I suppose Democrats are the best of a bad bunch, but I just feel they'd screw up everything else if they had half the chance (look what they did to the GST).

No the Progressive Alliance is the party that Meg Lees has formed after splitting with the democrats.

They are trying to be centrist I think.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-05-27 04:56am

You realize gay marriage are not legally recognised as it currently stands? I've read somewere they want to close a loophole which might force the government to legally regonised an existing gay marriage aquired were the marriage is legally recognised in another country.

But you can get a gay marriage in Australia as the current law stands anyway.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-05-27 04:57am

ggs wrote:But you can get a gay marriage in Australia as the current law stands anyway.

Gah.

That should be "you cant " not "you can"

Bob McDob · Post by **Bob McDob** » 2004-05-27 06:17am

I'm not really familiar with Australian politics ... how popular is Howard, anyway?

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2004-05-27 06:29am

Bob McDob wrote:I'm not really familiar with Australian politics ... how popular is Howard, anyway?

About as popular as dog shit on the bottom of your shoe.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-05-27 07:00am

Bob McDob wrote:I'm not really familiar with Australian politics ... how popular is Howard, anyway?

Last poll I saw (with in the last few weeks) put the Liberal party(Howard's party) at ~39% and the Labor party at ~43%.

However, the Liberal party normally forms government with several other parties. So the raw % dont tell you much.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-05-27 07:27am

Yeah that rest of the world is leaps and bounds ahead of the U.S.

I remind all the naysayers that while our President is an idiot, the measures would never pass the Congress, and only some states like Arizona have sided against; others like California and Massachussets are leading the fight to progress.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-05-27 08:21am

Come on Australia, you're suppost to be better than this. What happened?

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-05-27 08:25am

Illuminatus Primus wrote:Yeah that rest of the world is leaps and bounds ahead of the U.S.

Yep. The US is definately better than a penal colony which is mostly desert.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-05-27 08:38am

SirNitram wrote:
Illuminatus Primus wrote:Yeah that rest of the world is leaps and bounds ahead of the U.S.
Yep. The US is definately better than a penal colony which is mostly desert.

Former penal colony, thank-you-very-much!

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2004-05-27 08:43am

Wicked Pilot wrote:Come on Australia, you're suppost to be better than this. What happened?

Well, our problems are many but can be traced to one day, one event, when on July 26, 1939 this little freak was born:

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2004-05-27 09:08am

I can't access the article.

I do remember reading that Australia doesn't allow gay-marriages at the moment, if so, why pass a law prohibiting something that isn't allowed as it is?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-27 09:23am

SirNitram wrote:
Illuminatus Primus wrote:Yeah that rest of the world is leaps and bounds ahead of the U.S.
Yep. The US is definately better than a penal colony which is mostly desert.

how many countries allow gay marriage nationwide? Lets review the list:

1: the republic of nowhere

The fact that gay marriage is allowed in any part of the US proves that, Along with Canada and the UK we are at the front of the pack with regards to dealing with this issue.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2004-05-27 09:30am

Col. Crackpot wrote:
how many countries allow gay marriage nationwide? Lets review the list:

1: the republic of nowhere

The fact that gay marriage is allowed in any part of the US proves that, Along with Canada and the UK we are at the front of the pack with regards to dealing with this issue.

Psst.. check Holland and then come back to me.

Not sure about the situation in the rest of the EU, though. And no time to check it out.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-27 10:01am

Colonel Olrik wrote:
Col. Crackpot wrote:
how many countries allow gay marriage nationwide? Lets review the list:

1: the republic of nowhere

The fact that gay marriage is allowed in any part of the US proves that, Along with Canada and the UK we are at the front of the pack with regards to dealing with this issue.
Psst.. check Holland and then come back to me.

Not sure about the situation in the rest of the EU, though. And no time to check it out.

Oops, i should have remembered that. I do believe thry are alone in "nationwide" acceptace of gay marriage though.... if you can call c country with the population of Detroit a country.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-05-27 10:14am

Col. Crackpot wrote:
Colonel Olrik wrote:
Col. Crackpot wrote:
how many countries allow gay marriage nationwide? Lets review the list:

1: the republic of nowhere

The fact that gay marriage is allowed in any part of the US proves that, Along with Canada and the UK we are at the front of the pack with regards to dealing with this issue.
Psst.. check Holland and then come back to me.

Not sure about the situation in the rest of the EU, though. And no time to check it out.
Oops, i should have remembered that. I do believe thry are alone in "nationwide" acceptace of gay marriage though.... if you can call c country with the population of Detroit a country.

What do you call Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, then?

*Awaits more furious backpedaling*

Plekhanov · Post by **Plekhanov** » 2004-05-27 10:14am

According to this article in Slate. I posted a while back

Currently there are nine European countries that give marital rights to gay couples. In Scandinavia, Denmark (1989), Norway (1993), Sweden (1994), and Iceland (1996) pioneered a separate-and-not-quite-equal status for same-sex couples called "registered partnership." (When they register, same-sex couples receive most of the financial and legal rights of marriage, other than the right to marry in a state church and the right to adopt children.) Since 2001, the Netherlands and Belgium have opened marriage to same-sex couples.

In Britain the civil partnership or whatever its going to be called legislation is still going through paliament.

Post by **Colonel Olrik** » 2004-05-27 10:15am

Col. Crackpot wrote:
Oops, i should have remembered that. I do believe thry are alone in "nationwide" acceptace of gay marriage though.... if you can call c country with the population of Detroit a country.

16.1 million inhabitants, more than half the number of canadians. Be careful, a bit more and you're saying Canada isn't technically a country.

And anyway, the fact is that you don't have people screaming around that the next EU Constitution must safeguard the sanctity of marriage and you have the matter being discussed around the EU (I know it's being in Portugal and France, where legal unions are reecognized, but not marriage, and also in Germany) without the commotion going on in the States. That leads me to conclude that the situation in the US is definitely not better ore more advanced than here, but maybe it's just me.

Edit: what the others have said

SecondStorm · Post by **SecondStorm** » 2004-05-27 10:23am

Col. Crackpot wrote:
how many countries allow gay marriage nationwide? Lets review the list:

1: the republic of nowhere

The fact that gay marriage is allowed in any part of the US proves that, Along with Canada and the UK we are at the front of the pack with regards to dealing with this issue.

Check your facts.

Same Sex Marriage:
The Netherlands (since April 2001)
Belgium (June 2003)
Canada (only Ontario-June 2003 and British Columbia-July 2003)

Civil Unions:
Canada (Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Ontario)
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Norway
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

IIRC Taiwan is also planning to legalize gay marriage.

Scandinavia resolved the issue in the early 90s.

The US and the UK is hardly "leading the pack" on this one.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-27 10:26am

SirNitram wrote:
Col. Crackpot wrote:
Colonel Olrik wrote: Psst.. check Holland and then come back to me.

Not sure about the situation in the rest of the EU, though. And no time to check it out.
Oops, i should have remembered that. I do believe thry are alone in "nationwide" acceptace of gay marriage though.... if you can call c country with the population of Detroit a country.
What do you call Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, then?

*Awaits more furious backpedaling*

a tiny fraction of the world population. Look, i'm not arguing one side or the other. What i am saying is that you cannot portray nations like the US and Austrailia as backwards fundie civil rights abusers. The fact is gay marriage rights are making headway and being debated here and in Austrailia. unlike in the other 90% of the world.

Mr Flibble · Post by **Mr Flibble** » 2004-05-27 10:27am

Wicked Pilot wrote:Come on Australia, you're suppost to be better than this. What happened?

The problem is Australians are just to apathetic to do anything about it. As far as I know thaere has been no public push for this, just Howard copying yet another of Bush's policy

I was completely surprised by Labor's cowardly support of the move though.