Prime Minister,
Why has the Government not carried out the findings of the Human Rights Commission into Same-Sex couples?
The Government has received serveral submissions from the HRC on this issue, however nothing has progressed on this subject.
The HRC found two key areas of Commonwealth Law, where change needed to occur to keep Australia within its UN international Human Rights Conventions.
1) A change to the Discrimination Act. to make it unlawful to discriminate against someone based on there sexuality, and being involved in a Same-Sex relationship.
The only change the Government was willing to make to the Discrimination Act was to include children of Gay & Lesbian parents. The HRC found that under International Human Rights Conventions, it was a breach not to protect ALL Australians against discrimination. The Government has had almost 2 years to make these changes to protect ALL Australians, but has failed to do so.
2) The second finding of HRC was for Commonwealth Law to make include one of the following;
a) A change to the Marriage Act to include Same-Sex couples
OR
b) A nationally consistent Civil Union Registry, which includes a official ceremony to publicly celebrate those relationships.
The HRC found that anything less, has a violation of International Human Rights conventions.
Currently only 2 states/territories have a Civil Union Registry for Same-Sex couples (ACT and Tasmania) Victoria and NSW have Relationship Registers for Same-Sex couples however, they don't include any provision for a ceremony.
I understand that the states have the power to provide Civil Unions ceremonies for Same-Sex couples. However this is not the case, I know in NSW Government they have said until the Federal Government changes there minds about Gay Marriage NSW's registry will not have provisions for ceremonies. After speaking to both your office and the Attorney General's office, they have said a change of ALL Commonwealth Discrimination Acts and Laws is on the cards for 2011. However then after the inquiries and senate committee meetings on the issue, a change to protect ALL Australians wouldn't be law for at least a year. A change needs to be make NOW to protect ALL Australians, which is the Government responsiblity to provide.
An amendment to the Discrimination Act needs to be drafted NOW, for when Parliament resumes. We can't wait another year for these changes!
Whether or not you support Marriage Equality, you MUST support a change that ensures ALL Australians are protected in Commonwealth Law against discrimination! Australia is the only Western nation not to have Civil Unions for Same-Sex couples, New Zealand since 2004, UK since 2004, Canada since 1999 and the list goes on.
Will the Government allow the following if not I would like a detailed reason why;
A conscience vote on Marriage Equality in the senate
A Civil Partnerships Bill to be introduced
As we are getting close to an election, these issues need some answers to give the people an informed choice on election day.
Mr Abbott has out and about a few weeks ago saying on radio, he supports Civil Unions for Same-Sex couples, and would welcome a Bill to make that happen. He also said this quote "conservatives must embrace Gay Unions", so I would hope the Labor party has some answers before election day. He also supports the changes required to the Discrimination Act.
Same-Sex couples deserve the rights to atleast a simple Civil Union ceremony, it doesn't mimic Marriage at all, its a totally different arrangment. You can't deny us the rights to Marriage, and also the rights to any other type of official ceremony to celebrate our relationships!!!
I appreciate your time, I can't even begin to imagine, how busy you all have been over the past few weeks.
I hope you take this seriously, becasue it's a real serious issue that needs attention NOW. It has been ignored by way too many Prime Ministers, I hope now with a more open-minded leader we can finally become a nation where ALL citizens have Equal rights to be happy and love without discrimation.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Same-Sex Adoption Bill needs your support!!!
I urge you to support the removal of discrimination against same-sex couples and their children in the Adoption Act 2000 (NSW), as proposed by the Adoption Amendment (Same-Sex Couples) Bill.
In all adoption processes, I strongly believe that individuals and couples should be judged on their ability to care for a child and provide a stable home, not on their sexual orientation.
Children in same-sex foster families, and some children with same-sex step parents and co-parents need adoption to ensure they also have equal rights and protection under the law. For these children, adoption will ensure their parents and families are also legally recognised and that they can have a birth certificate which reflects their family structure.
Same-sex couple adoption reform would ensure children have the benefit of:
Parental authority. Children in the care of same-sex couples could have two legally-recognised parents empowered to give consent for their medical treatment, take them to hospital, sign school permission notes, and interact with their child care centres and schools.
Custody and contact. Children in the care of same-sex couples who were adopted would have more certainty around their care and welfare if a parent dies or their parents separate.
Inheritance. Children in the care of same-sex couples who were adopted would have have automatic rights to inherit property and superannuation upon the death of their adoptive parents.
Entitlements and responsibilities conferred to parents and children under state and federal legislation. Any legislation which confered rights or responsibilities to a parent or child would be conferred to the adoptive parents and their child. For example, children will have rights to child support and worker's compensation if an adoptive parent dies or is seriously injured at work.
8 Reasons for Supporting Adoption Equality
Research on gay and lesbian parenting. All the credible research confirms that children are not disadvantaged by having lesbian and gay parents. Research has shown that family processes, not family structures, are determinative of children’s wellbeing. That is, the happiness of the relationship between the adults in the home, and the degree of openness, warmth and communication within the family, not the gender or sexuality of the adults, has the most significant impact on the child.
Practical impacts of discrimination. Discrimination against same-sex couples hurts children with gay and lesbian parents by denying legal and social recognition to their families. Legal recognition would give same-sex parents the power to consent to medical treatment for their child, sign permission notes and exercise parental authority without question or the need for court orders. Children can also miss out on inheritance entitlements.
Judge individuals on their merits, not their sexual orientation. Every individual or couple has to go through strict assessment procedures to determine whether they are fit and proper persons to adopt a child. No one has the right to adopt a child, but same-sex couples should not be excluded before they have had the chance to show their capabilities as potential parents like everybody else.
Inconsistency in the law. It makes no sense to allow individual lesbians and gay men to apply for adoption, but not same-sex couples.
Same-sex couples are foster carers. Same-sex couples have been actively recruited as foster carers for many years, and provide wonderful foster care for children in need. Children in long-term foster care deserve the stability of having their parents legally recognised.
Discrimination fuels social myths and prejudice.Discrimination against gays and lesbians in adoption law perpetuates hurtful myths that lesbians and gay men pose a risk to children. This reflects unfairly on the valuable contributions of many same-sex parents, and all lesbians and gay men who work with children as teachers, youth workers and carers.
Same-sex families have recognition in many Australian jurisdictions. Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have same-sex adoption equality. Tasmania also allows same-sex couples to adopt a partner’s child. New South Wales and the Northern Territory recognise children born to lesbian couples through assisted reproductive technology. The Commonwealth Family Law Act also recognises same-sex families.
Adoption is the last area of discrimination against same-sex couples. Since 1999, NSW has progressively removed all discrimination against same-sex couples – adoption being the last significant area of discrimination.
To allow discrimination against Same-sex couples in the Adoption Act, is a breech of International UN Human Rights Conventions, which Australia is obligated to enforce. Certain Lobby groups such as the Christian Lobby, would have you believe that by allowing Same-sex couples to Adopt children will put these kids in danger, which is totally untrue. The Adoption standards and rules for being apprroved to Adopt a child, will continue to remain as they have, which is a couple of same-sex or opposite sex both have to go through the same criteria and selection process to prove they are fit to become parents.
By including Same-sex couples to be eligable to Adopt children, will NOT mean that ALL Same-sex couples will be approved to Adopt, as I said above if a couple of opposite sex or same sex is found to not be a fit and proper parent for a child then there application is declined. Kids are protected with this method, to say that ALL same-sex couples are banned from being eligable to apply to Adopt is flat out discrimination.
Christian Lobby group say that 'all kids deserve a mother and a father', for generations now with high divorce rates, and the lack of unity in a lot of relationships, have meant a lot of kids have already been growing up in homes that arent typically 'christian'. Single parents and same-sex couples have made a perfectly safe and loving homes for children, for a lobby group to say that anything "un-christian" is not right and shouldn't be aloud is nothing more than making the Christian church sound like dictators.
I strongly encourage you to act in the best interests of children and support the removal of discrimination in adoption law.
In all adoption processes, I strongly believe that individuals and couples should be judged on their ability to care for a child and provide a stable home, not on their sexual orientation.
Children in same-sex foster families, and some children with same-sex step parents and co-parents need adoption to ensure they also have equal rights and protection under the law. For these children, adoption will ensure their parents and families are also legally recognised and that they can have a birth certificate which reflects their family structure.
Same-sex couple adoption reform would ensure children have the benefit of:
Parental authority. Children in the care of same-sex couples could have two legally-recognised parents empowered to give consent for their medical treatment, take them to hospital, sign school permission notes, and interact with their child care centres and schools.
Custody and contact. Children in the care of same-sex couples who were adopted would have more certainty around their care and welfare if a parent dies or their parents separate.
Inheritance. Children in the care of same-sex couples who were adopted would have have automatic rights to inherit property and superannuation upon the death of their adoptive parents.
Entitlements and responsibilities conferred to parents and children under state and federal legislation. Any legislation which confered rights or responsibilities to a parent or child would be conferred to the adoptive parents and their child. For example, children will have rights to child support and worker's compensation if an adoptive parent dies or is seriously injured at work.
8 Reasons for Supporting Adoption Equality
Research on gay and lesbian parenting. All the credible research confirms that children are not disadvantaged by having lesbian and gay parents. Research has shown that family processes, not family structures, are determinative of children’s wellbeing. That is, the happiness of the relationship between the adults in the home, and the degree of openness, warmth and communication within the family, not the gender or sexuality of the adults, has the most significant impact on the child.
Practical impacts of discrimination. Discrimination against same-sex couples hurts children with gay and lesbian parents by denying legal and social recognition to their families. Legal recognition would give same-sex parents the power to consent to medical treatment for their child, sign permission notes and exercise parental authority without question or the need for court orders. Children can also miss out on inheritance entitlements.
Judge individuals on their merits, not their sexual orientation. Every individual or couple has to go through strict assessment procedures to determine whether they are fit and proper persons to adopt a child. No one has the right to adopt a child, but same-sex couples should not be excluded before they have had the chance to show their capabilities as potential parents like everybody else.
Inconsistency in the law. It makes no sense to allow individual lesbians and gay men to apply for adoption, but not same-sex couples.
Same-sex couples are foster carers. Same-sex couples have been actively recruited as foster carers for many years, and provide wonderful foster care for children in need. Children in long-term foster care deserve the stability of having their parents legally recognised.
Discrimination fuels social myths and prejudice.Discrimination against gays and lesbians in adoption law perpetuates hurtful myths that lesbians and gay men pose a risk to children. This reflects unfairly on the valuable contributions of many same-sex parents, and all lesbians and gay men who work with children as teachers, youth workers and carers.
Same-sex families have recognition in many Australian jurisdictions. Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have same-sex adoption equality. Tasmania also allows same-sex couples to adopt a partner’s child. New South Wales and the Northern Territory recognise children born to lesbian couples through assisted reproductive technology. The Commonwealth Family Law Act also recognises same-sex families.
Adoption is the last area of discrimination against same-sex couples. Since 1999, NSW has progressively removed all discrimination against same-sex couples – adoption being the last significant area of discrimination.
To allow discrimination against Same-sex couples in the Adoption Act, is a breech of International UN Human Rights Conventions, which Australia is obligated to enforce. Certain Lobby groups such as the Christian Lobby, would have you believe that by allowing Same-sex couples to Adopt children will put these kids in danger, which is totally untrue. The Adoption standards and rules for being apprroved to Adopt a child, will continue to remain as they have, which is a couple of same-sex or opposite sex both have to go through the same criteria and selection process to prove they are fit to become parents.
By including Same-sex couples to be eligable to Adopt children, will NOT mean that ALL Same-sex couples will be approved to Adopt, as I said above if a couple of opposite sex or same sex is found to not be a fit and proper parent for a child then there application is declined. Kids are protected with this method, to say that ALL same-sex couples are banned from being eligable to apply to Adopt is flat out discrimination.
Christian Lobby group say that 'all kids deserve a mother and a father', for generations now with high divorce rates, and the lack of unity in a lot of relationships, have meant a lot of kids have already been growing up in homes that arent typically 'christian'. Single parents and same-sex couples have made a perfectly safe and loving homes for children, for a lobby group to say that anything "un-christian" is not right and shouldn't be aloud is nothing more than making the Christian church sound like dictators.
I strongly encourage you to act in the best interests of children and support the removal of discrimination in adoption law.
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