Discrimination In Australia

Same-sex marriage or more formally known as gay marriage, is the marriage between two people of the same sex. In Australia it’s illegal, marriage in Australia is “the voluntary union, entered into for life, of one man and one women to the exclusion of all others” (Marriage Act 1961). In some states in the USA it is legal for example Colorado, California and New York. In Australia same-sex couples have no access to marriage, civil unions or other federal relationship registration. Same sex couples can be recognised as de facto couples. Same-sex couples are prevented from marrying by the amendments to the Marriage Act 1961, passed in 2004 by the Howard Government, Labor party. However same-sex couples who are married in countries where same-sex is legal cannot divorce within Australia due to the same-sex marriage ban. At the federal level, in 2008 and 2009, there was a wide-ranging suite of reforms to provide equal entitlements and responsibilities for same-sex couples, This includes social security, employment, taxation and superannuation. Tony Abbott has traditionally opposed same-sex marriage, and in 2012 parliament had debates on the same-sex marriage bills, in the election campaign, Abbott reaffirmed that he would not support legislation to allow gay marraige.

It is without denial that aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people are treated differently in our society especially by the media. They are often represented as, trouble makers, violent and drunks. These remarks used by the media are giving bad impressions on Aboriginal people. Tonight, on Media Matters we will unmask the truth on the media’s treatment of the famous Sydney Swans footballer Adam Goodes. The media has heavily criticized this athlete making unfair statements causing them to break the journalist’s code of ethics, the very rule book they should be following. The code of ethics applies to all journalists and is designed to keep their reports fair, non-judgemental.

In 2003 the case of Goodwin v. UK was referred to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). LIBERTY intervened in this case relating to Christine Goodwin who faced sexual harassment at work during and following her gender re-assignment. She alleged that following ‘transition’ she kept the same National Insurance Number meaning her employer had ben able to discover that she previously worked for them under another name and gender.

Several leaders in the past were recognized and are still being recognized for their efforts in trying to deal with various societal issues such as discrimination from those considered superior in the society. Among them inclue Thmas Jefferson and Elizabeth Cady, who spoke in different ways about how leaders should deal with the discrimination challenges and the reasons for abolishing discrimination against the minority. They shared similarities in the way they wanted humankind to achieve liberation in different forms, although they also exhibited differences in the way this objective was to be achieved. They believed that the leadership of any society was responsible for wellbeing of its people in different ways and this implied that they

Lobby groups such as Marriage Equality Australia and the NSW Gay and Lesbian Lobby Group were instrumental in securing equal rights for homosexual de facto couples, and are currently campaigns for the legislation of same sex marriage. Despite a galaxy polls show that 63% of Australians were in favour of same-sex marriage (‘Majority of Australia supports same-sex marriage’, January 201, SMH), the law has refused to acknowledge it, enacts the Marriage Act Amendment (2004) to stipulate the definition of marriage as being between a ‘man and a women’. However, former PM Kevin Rudd has acknowledged the movement of same-sex marriage, promising to enact it if he were to be re-elected (PM promises legislation of same-sex marriage, August 2013, SMH). As such, it can be seen that although the law has been slower in recognising same-sex marriage, it is still able to reflect contemporary societal values and issues, thus achieves a just outcome for those in same-sex relationships, protecting the individual rights to

For Australian law to be effective it must be dynamic so it can reflect changing societal views, which law reform can help attain. A significant area of recent social change is the acceptance of same-sex relationships in Australian society. To mirror this, current law reforms have been somewhat effective in achieving just outcomes regarding the recognition of same-sex relationships in Commonwealth law. The combination of official recognition of same-sex relationships to an extent, attempts at removing discrimination in legislation, and the delay of justice denotes this. Considering the achievement of justice and the protection of individual’s rights, it is evident that law reform has significantly improved recognition of same-sex relationships, but there are more essential responses that need to be enacted.

Family law is the most complex aspect of the Australian legal system as it is constantly under review and reform pursuing to adopt society’s continual change in values and principles. The changing of laws in an attempt to be parallel with society is a strenuous process. Nevertheless, legislations are reflective of contemporary society’s values and ethics. Numerous legal issues arise in regards to family including, same sex relationships, domestic violence and divorce ideally on the best interest of the child, where family laws have been imposed to protect individuals and aim to achieve justice.

Equity and respect for others are two of the main values that are instantly presented to the audience. Wong makes it clear that they are two beliefs of hers that are not displayed frequently enough in Parliament, as if same sex couples were in a world where they were treated with a sense of egalitarianism and respect, then gay marriage would be unquestionably legalized. Improvement is also a prominent theme displayed by the author, who utilizes quotes such as ‘marriage equality is both necessary and overdue’ (Wong, 2016) and ‘gay and lesbian Australians can vote, serve in the military, represent our country on the sporting field, teach in our universities, preside as judges, staff our hospitals, and be a member of the federal cabinet. Yet we cannot marry the person we love’. (Wong, 2016) These two quotations are clear demonstrations of the author’s conviction that Australia can be undoubtedly improved with the introduction of new laws that allow citizens of all sexualities to

I would tell my co-workers that I don’t agree with their statement. Being a Canadian makes you just as responsible to help out other Canadian citizens, especially the ones who have been on this land before colonizers. Respect shouldn’t be optional but given to the Native communities who have suffered to make Canada what is known today. Because of certain aspects of Canadian history, past colonialism actions are still prominent today and are affecting Native communities greatly. For instance, the legacy of the ‘Indian princes’ and the ‘squaw’ still remains prominent in our society. Taking the recent case of a featuring Cree writer named Rosanna Deerchild, In 2015, Maclean's documented her experience of facing discrimination. “They call me a

Marriage equality matters just as much as anything else in the world. Same-sex couples want to marry like any other person and have all the same reasons as heterosexual couples. There are many legal benefits that come with marriage but they are however not available to same-sex couples. A marriage certificate allows married couples to easily prove their legal rights if challenged for example in an emergency situation. Equal marriage is important in modern society because it allows same-sex couples to be included in such a worldwide and cherished institution such as marriage will provide for them and their families with real social and cultural benefits. There is a growth in research, which shows evidence that married couples, which include same-sex married couples are on average healthier, happier and longer lived. Government restrictions on who gay and lesbian people in Australia can marry contravenes the fundamental human rights in the same way that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were once contravened with laws on who they could and could not marry.

(US Const. amend. XV). It is obvious America has come a long way since discrimination was prominent but, with Trump in office that may soon

“The land is my mother. Like a human mother, the land gives us protection, enjoyment and provides our needs – economic, social and religious. We have a human relationship with the land: Mother, daughter, son. When the land is taken from us or destroyed, we feel hurt because we belong to the land and we are part of it.” This quote was written by Djinyini Gondarra, an Aboriginal that is working to towards enhancing the health and well-being of his fellow aboriginal people. Over the years, aboriginal people have been mistreated and have experienced a large magnitude of discriminations that range from health to social inequalities, which have led to many health-related issues that have made it very difficult for Aboriginal people to break the stigma and prejudice they continue to experience.

Same sex marriage within Australia is a highly contentious topical issue that has seen increasing importance over the past decade. People of the LGBTI community have faced great discrimination in the past with homosexuality being illegal and frowned upon from as early as 1901. South Australia legalised homosexual acts in 1975 with many other states following over the years. Same sex couples are now recognised in today’s society with them being classed as de facto relationships. While same-sex marriage has not yet been legalised, recent movements including the national postal survey, has seen great support for change.

Should same-sex marriage be made legal in Australia? This is something you and I have heard in recent years come up time and again in the media and private conversations. But why is this an issue? We need to understand why this is even an issue. Let’s talk about what is a marriage. Society’s perspective of marriage is that it is a permanent, social, legal contract between two people who have mutual rights between the two people that are agreed upon. This is a view common to many societies including Australia. It is a social institution that has legal, economic, social, and religious value. The reason being, it is widely perceived as the basis for family, which is why socially, there is a

In Australia marriage is the union between a women and a man, in the eyes of the law couples of the same sexual orientation is not considered a marriage. In this report it will contain the legal definition of marriage, the current legislation, the legal issues surrounding the law, foreign marriages and how to impact Australia, the rights of the stake holders, the social issues surrounding marriage, political ideas and views of marriage, the evaluation of the law, concluding with recommendation as well as a conclusion.