Page 5739 - Week 15 - Thursday, 10 December 2009
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relation to how we should respond to the commonwealth’s position. I would just like to share a couple of those views with the Assembly. Some were directed to me personally but I think they are equally shared amongst all progressive legislators in this place. I will not mention the names of the individuals but I received a number of emails that broadly went to the point of thanking me and, I suppose, all progressive members in this place for showing leadership on the legal recognition of same-sex relationships.
One email I received goes as follows:
As someone who has been in a same-sex partnership for thirteen years, it is so heartening to see you in the media talking about the importance of recognising that there is a diversity of relationships in contemporary society and that they deserve appropriate recognition.
Each time you speak out on this matter you say to gay and lesbian people, particularly young people, that their preferences are valued, that their relationships are/will be valued, and that there are valid pathways to pursue.
Of course, one day I’d like to see in the ACT—if not in all of Australia—civil unions for gay and lesbian people, but until then I believe what the ACT Government has done recently (along with the ACT Greens) is as good as it can be expected within the current federal political context. I don’t believe pushing the Rudd Government any further will produce a better result at this point in time.
Thank you again—it’s so wonderful to see the ACT being a part of the solution on this matter.
Others have observed that it is better to accept the compromise rather than lose the ceremonies altogether. They have encouraged us to preserve what is in this amendment bill. They have said:
Everything isn’t going to become right and equal in the world overnight as much as we would like it to. Small steps are important steps. And I would rather have than keep ACT civil partnership legislation than have it completely overturned …
This interesting message states:
Don’t fight your local ACT government, they are on your side.
I agree and endorse that point. The message continues:
Think about who isn’t and lobby/petition them instead.
Another email to me says:
While I would strongly desire the removal of all legislative discrimination, I do think its best that we get incremental change, rather than throw out the existing legislation altogether and yet again, not be allowed to have our relationships formally recognised in law.
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