标题: 澳洲参议院否决同性婚姻提案，26名参议员缺席投票表示抗议 [打印本页] 作者: choz 时间: 1-3-2010 23:51 标题: 澳洲参议院否决同性婚姻提案，26名参议员缺席投票表示抗议 Australian Senate rejects gay marriage bill
The Australian Senate today rejected a bill to give equal marriage rights to gay citizens.
The bill was introduced by the Greens but was defeated 45-5, just days before the world's biggest gay celebration, Sydney Mardi Gras.
Twenty-six senators were absent from the vote, with some of these choosing to abstain because they disagreed with their parties' official stances against same-sex marriage.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who introduced the bill, 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.
Marriage equality campaigners claim that 60 per cent of Australian citizens support the right of gay couples to marry.
Alex Greenwich of Australian Marriage Equality, said it was arrogant of Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd to ignore the public.
He added: However, the fact that 26 senators were absent from today's debate is an indication that there is dissent in the ranks of the major parties, dissent which we believe will only grow.
Because the leaders of the major parties are clearly deaf to the wishes of mainstream Australia we have no choice but to make this an election issue when the nation goes to the polls later this year. 作者: choz 时间: 1-3-2010 23:52
Shame on Kevin Rudd for ignoring the public!
Now seven countries around the world offer gay couples the right to marry and a further 20 allow civil unions and registered partnerships. (AAP) Gay marriage won't be legalised in Australia, after the Senate voted to reject the idea, but members of the Gay and Lesbian community are still pushing the case for reform.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young's bill amended the Marriage Act,so it no longer discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation orgender identity.
Senator Hanson-Young says more than 60 per cent of Australians want to see same-sex marriage legalised.
But that figure wasn't reflected in the Senate's vote, with the bill going down 45 to five.
But with the Mardi Gras approaching, members of the Gay and Lesbiancommunity are still hopeful Australia's policies on the issue canchange.
Andrew Williamson and his partner Mindigas have been together for 5 years.
They firmly believe in marriage as an institution and want the same rights as their heterosexual friends.
"If you love someone, care for them, are totally committed to them,then marriage is the ultimate expression we have to symbolise thatrelationship," Mr Williamson told SBS.
As the gay and lesbian Mardis Gras approaches, the NSW government chosethis week to announce that it plans to allow gay couples to registertheir partnerships in the future.
The move brings NSW into line with Victoria Tasmania and the ACT.
Gay groups have welcomed the move but they say it doesn't go far enough.
"We believe marriage should be the ultimate goal with civil unions andrelationship registries in addition to that to allow other people tochoose what they'd like but full marriage equality is what we're aimingfor," an actvist said.
Andrew Williamson agrees. He says relationship registers are second rate and may actually encourage discrimination.
"That sort of stigmatisation or classing homosexual relationships asbeing different from heterosexual relationships causes people toregard homosexuals as different from heterosexuals and that is not agood thing".
Sydney couple Vicky Harding and Jackie Braw have been together for eight years.
Their issue is not with Australia's marriage laws but with current legislation concerning adoption.
Vicky wants Jackie to be able to adopt her daughter Brenna but the law here in NSW prevents it.
"All these fantastic things we've achieved in Australia and yet westill have these ridiculous bits of discrimination lying around and yetwe're not willing to clean that up. It just doesn't make sense," shesaid.
NSW had pledged to change the law but backed down in the face ofopposition from groups which say only heterosexuals should have theright to adopt.
It's an argument 13-year-old Brenna does not understand
"That's just ridiculous. There is no proper family. This is as good a family as any. Better. Sure," he said.
For the time being the majority of Australia's politicians beg to differ.
