Australian Senate Votes Against Gay Marriage
February 26, 2010 by Jason Shaw
The Australian Senate has comprehensively defeated a bid to legalize gay marriage in the country. The bill was thrashed by 45 votes against to 5 votes for, although, more than a third of senators failed to even show up. The Green party pledged to reintroduce the bill after the last election, and where the only ones to vote in favor of the bill.
Some of the senators who were absent from the chamber for the vote, may have been uncomfortable with their parties official stance on equality, or letting gay couples marry.
Senator Hanson-Young said “There may have been a group of senators voting to keep discrimination against same-sex couples being able to marry the one they love, but well over one-third of all senators were absent for the final vote, presumably the only form of protest open to them”
This sad news in Australian’s step back from equality for of it’s citizens comes just a few days ahead of the worlds biggest gay pride event, the Sydney Lesbian & Gay Mardi Gras takes place this weekend, that brings billions of dollars to the country.
In recent polls, just over 60% of Australian’s are in favor of same-sex marriage, sadly it seems the politicians didn’t take this in to account.
Jason Shaw, Brighton, England.
GayAgenda.com’s UK Correspondent.
Jason’s blog The Seafront Diaries is here!
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[...] Australian Senate voted 45-5 against a bill to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. More than a third of [...]
It should be clear by now that there is no justifiable reason for discrimination under the law. We know through both history and science, being gay is a normal expression of human bonding for a minority of the population. We have always existed, everywhere, no matter how harshly punished and prohibited. It is simply cruel to use the law to punish a group of people for who they love, and makes the law look mean and stupid.
The only remaining arguments for using the law to punish people for being gay, are based on questionable interpretations of a few religious verses. Religious texts should never be used as the justification for laws which treat some people as less equal than others. It only causes needless suffering and death. But even sacred texts of all religions as well as secular thinking requires some version of the concept expressed in natural law as: “no man require to reserve to himself any right, which he is not content should be reserved to every one of the rest”. Or more simply, treat others the way you want to be treated. Discrimination has no place in the law of any country.
[...] Australian Senate voted 45-5 against a bill to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. More than a third of [...]