Blog 6: Same Sex Marriage Defeated in Australia

         This article addresses how Australia is also in a debate over weather or not to legalize gay marriage.  On Sept. 19 the House of Representatives voted on a proposal by backbencher Stephen Jones, of the Australian Labor Party, the party currently in power at the federal level, to legalize same-sex marriage.  The vote was 42 in favor of legalization and 98 against.  The following day another vote on same-sex marriage was held in the Australian Senate, and again it was overwhelmingly defeated, by 41 to 26. Despite the two votes in federal parliament the debate on same-sex marriage in Australia is far from over, with the focus turning to the state level.  The lower house of parliament in Tasmania has already voted in favor of same-sex marriage and this week it will be voted on by the upper house.
         I as a large portion of Australia was hopping that this would be a win in the fight to legalize gay marriage around the world.  Although the bills have not yet passed it is encouraging for anywhere that's fighting for those rights to see another part of the world just as animate.  Australia like many other countries might now turn their efforts to the state level concentrating on gaining rights and support one region at a time.  I feel that the continued fight of persons all over the world helps to show that family is not a cookie cutter shape that only fits some but instead a broad range that includes many different variations all of which are worthy of the same rights and protections as a man and woman headed household.
        Although its hard to see the defeats of these bills as anything but negative I think that in the Australian government doing so they have only strengthened the resolve of those fighting for these rights to fight harder.  I hope to see a similar united fight in the US.  I feel that soon Australia may very well be one of those added to the list of countries that realizes they aren't fighting against something that will change and destroy the idea of family, but instead allowing something that will strengthen communities and help those families that want nothing more than acknowledgement that they too are a positive family unit in the community not an exception to the rule.




 Andrea N ward
 10/5/12 2pm
Soc 202-01
http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=47750