Homosexual Marriage Australia

Back in this time many Australians weren’t aware of the fight for same sex marriage and many strongly disagreed. However, now that America has passed the legislation in support of gay marriage, Australians now see this as a more achievable

Only recently, the Australian Government introduced reforms to de-facto relationships. This meant that same-sex couples are entitled to the same benefits and subject to the same obligations as opposite-sex couples (Property Relationships Act 1984 NSW). The legislation of Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws- General Law Reform) Act 2008 removed discriminatory treatment of same-sex couples. These acts included laws about tax, superannuation, Medicare, workers compensations, employment entitlements and family law. Homosexuals are discriminated against in terms of marriage, donating blood and are also victims to abuse due to their status. A study conducted by the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby revealed that 84% of participants aged between 14 and 21 had been treated unfairly because of their sexuality and almost half had suffered verbal or physical abuse. With these inequalities present, it is difficult to achieve equality and fairness around this group. Although Australia proposes the ideal of egalitarianism, it is hard to justify whether it is present or not.

On May 23rd 2015, Ireland became one of the first few countries throughout the world to legalized gay marriage. Since this approval there has been new debate as to where Australia stands on same-sex marriage. The amount of same-sex couples in Australia increased by 32% from 2006 to 2011 and 70% of the Australian nation believe that Australia should allow the right to same-sex marriage. Before the Marriage Amendment Act 2004 by the Howard Government, there was no previous definition of Marriage in the 1961 Act and the definition was based on common law. The definition changed by the Howard Government in

The law regulating same-sex marriages continues to change, in order to better reflect the community 's opinions and expectations. Within the last decade, Australia has seen substantial changes in the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. This increase in legal recognition is primarily aimed at removal of institutionalized discrimination, as well as providing adequate legal protection of same-sex couples has arisen due to the wide spread changes of opinions about same-sex relationships within society.

"When any society says that I cannot marry a certain person, that society has cut off a segment of my freedom." - Martin Luther King Jr, 1958. This provocative statement, in reference to interracial matrimony during the fight for black civil rights in America is unfortunately once again significant, however this time in reference to marriage equality in Australia. The failure of the law to allow all couples regardless of sex to marry, and furthermore refusal to acknowledge marriages conducted overseas, is a disgrace to the nation supposedly know as accepting of difference and intolerant to discrimination.

It can be argued that marriage equality is the paramount issue for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) in Australia, and worldwide. The push for marriage equality has been at the forefront of debate for many years, especially in Australia, where same-sex couples are still unable to marry under Australian law. Despite the recognition of same-sex matrimony in

In Australia, 1.2% of our population are gay or lesbian. 54% of Gay and Lesbian couple said If they could marry they would, but due to unfair laws in Australia they are unable too. 80% of Australians in same-sex relationships support marriage equality even if they do not wish to marry. Many people think that Gay marriage should be legal as it will welcome people in our community and make them feel safe. At the moment the government is saying that is okay to exclude people that are gay or lesbian, just because they don’t fit in. People that are gay have a hard time trying to fit in as most people will exclude them as they don’t fit into society, this leaving more people depressed. A lot of people are leaving Australia to get married, but if it was legalized it will benefit the wedding industry.

Australia’s Senate and House of Representatives recently rejected bills to accept homosexual marriage in Australia. Labor MP Stephen Jones and Labor Senator Trish Crossin have both put forward a bill to gain marriage equality with both bills failing to pass through to the governor general (House of Representatives – 98-42, and

The last gay man to be arrested for sodomy was put away for 8 months in 1984, that was only 33 years ago. Anti-gay laws were only recently repealed between 1975-1997, the last start being Tasmania, which was essentially forced to by the rest of the country to change its outdated ways. Nineteen ninety bloody seven. People born in that year wouldn’t even be 21 yet. We still do not have same sex marriage in Australia. Same sex couples married overseas are recognised as married in most of our states, excluding the Northern Territory and Western Australia - which is appalling, an absolute embarrassment to our country. You won’t allow a couple in love to even be considered married if they had to go to another country to be wed. You know what the Northern Territory also refuses to allow? Same sex couples can’t adopt the children that straight couples couldn’t look after, so

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.

On July 20th 2005, Canada became the fourth country to legalize the marriage of homosexuals. However this did not just happen overnight. Just 40 years ago, all homosexuals were subject to criminal charges and imprisonment. Brick by brick the homosexual community was granted more equality until marriage was proposed. The legalization of gay marriage in Canada was the culmination of more than 35 years of society and court rulings pushing the federal government to give homosexuals more equal rights.

Gay marriage has been a discussion in the courts for countless decades. It is seen by some as an abomination to the purpose of having marriages and by others as an equal right to the same form of marriage given to any other opposite-sex couples. Voted upon by many in parliamentary, it still has no definitive outcome in the country.

Another type of family in which the Australian legal system has been effective in is dealing with Same Sex Relationships. However there has been a slight degree of ineffectiveness in this issue with same sex relationships finding it extremely difficult in the past in order to obtain the same rights as married couples or even De Facto couples, thus one can interpret that in the case of Same Sex Relationship Justice is delayed thus the justice is denied. Same Sex Couples it seems are unable to ever achieve the rights and be recognised through marriage as the Marriage Act 1961 specifically states that marriage is between a man and a woman and in order for Same Sex couples to be able to marry a new law must be passed as well as that section of the marriage act be amended. However all states and territories in Australia recognise Same Sex

By contradicting same-sex marriage it encourages discrimination and judgment toward homosexual people and couples in our society, this results in bad habits for our society and most importantly children who will learn to discriminate which will further support the discrimination of looks and race. Australia do not want people to discriminate based on sex, and colour yet go against their own morals by discriminating against same-sex marriage. Same sex marriage will not affect religious people in our society because they still have the choice to marry as they choose but instead it allows gay

In 2004, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, the District of Columbia and two Native American tribal jurisdictions have legalized same sex marriages. As the years go on, more and more same sex couples will continue to fight for their right to marry who they choose and more states will eventually allow same sex couples their rights to marry whomever they choose (Koppelman, 2004).