“I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ABOUT EQUALITY...”
THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN YOU THINK!
WHAT ABOUT OUR RIGHTS?
Australia has always prided itself upon being an open, easy-going society. However, even without the passing of same sex marriage, claims of discrimination has caused Australians to suffer financial costs, as well as damage to employment and reputation. Will same sex marriage accelerate the deterioration of everyone's freedoms of speech, conscience, trade and privacy? In a radically changed society, why should mainstream values be inconsistent with our laws?
WHAT ABOUT SEX EDUCATION IN OUR SCHOOLS?
Changing marriage laws will also change school education. Do parents want the teaching of same sex relationships to have the same status as opposite-sex relationships? Will parents lose ‘the prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children’?
DO THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN STILL HAVE ANY VALUE?
Same sex marriage will lead to more same sex parenting. Shouldn’t children have a right to know their own biological history? Why should a child be limited in their physical, psychological, emotional and intellectual development associated with fatherless or motherless social units (as in same sex marriage)?
WHAT ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF A MOTHER?
The idea that a mother’s love is a crucial part of parenting has been a constant for our whole history. When the presence of a mother becomes optional within families, what effect will this have?
DON'T WE ALREADY HAVE FULL RELATIONSHIP EQUALITY?
Same sex couples already have the same rights and benefits as man woman couples.
As Tanya Plibersek said in May this year, “we changed 85 laws (in 2008), removed every piece of legal discrimination against gay men, lesbians and same-sex couples on the statute books”.
Obviously, it’s not just about equality. There is more to it than you think.
This isn’t about whether you’re for or against same sex marriage.
It’s about understanding some of the things that would also change if the legal definition of marriage were changed. Some may not bother you; some may. That’s entirely up to you. But at least you’ll be forming an opinion based on a fuller understanding of the issues and the rights you stand to lose. Because when you change a set of laws, there are always ramifications. And in the case of same sex marriage, there’s definitely more to it than a lot of people think.