Bomaderry/Nowra & Kiama ALP Branches Support Marriage Equality

The members of the Bomaderry/Nowra branch of the ALP wish to support Marriage Equality, by urging the National ALP Conference to change their policy on same sex marriages and support amendments to the Marriage Act.

The current Marriage Act discriminates against same sex couples by denying them the right to marry, which denies them the ability to publicly celebrate and affirm their love & commitment with their family & friends. This also hurts kids being raised by same sex parents deeming their family not privileged enough to be awarded the same rights and protections as opposite sex parents.

Kids & young teens that are struggling with their sexuality and fear that telling someone about their feelings will result in being victimised, often suffering from a range of mental health issues most seriously being suicide which sadly has claimed many young lives.

Besides this breaching articles 2 and 26 of the ICCPR (International UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), it’s ignoring the overwhelming support in the Australian community for Marriage Equality. (Recent polling shows over 70% support)

We also strongly support state and territory ALP branches for their motions calling on the National ALP conference to support Marriage Equality, motions have been passed in Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT and a motion still stands in Victoria.

The ALP has a proud history of fighting for all Australians, in addressing both working & social inequalities, the ALP must act to address this important issue.

“Fighting in the pursuit of social justice and equality in ALL areas of the human endeavour” (Quote from ALP 2011 membership card)

Abbott blocks marriage vote

Tony Abbott has reconfirmed that his Liberal Party opposes law reform that would allow gay marriage – and added that he would reject giving his party’s MPs a conscience vote on the issue.

“The Coalition’s policy is that marriage is between a man and a woman,” says the Opposition Leader’s spokesman, reports The Australian. “We don’t have conscience votes on matters of policy.”

This is bleak news for the marriage equality campaign, unless the ALP changes its policy following its Annual Conference this December – where gay marriage will certainly be debated – and Julia Gillarddecides against a conscience vote on the issue.

Read more here Abbott vows 2 block Marriage Vote

PM to announce conscience vote on Marriage Equality

A senior federal ALP source has told the Star Observer that Prime Minister Julia Gillard is planning to announce she will allow a conscience vote on same-sex marriage in an effort to short-circuit debate at the ALP National Conference in Sydney in December.

The debate would still occur but the source said Gillard believed that pre-empting the outcome would take the wind out of the sails of any decision made by the conference.

The source said Gillard knew she didn’t have the votes at conference to prevent marriage equality from being added to the ALP national platform, which would put her at odds with her own party on the issue.

Read more here PM to announce Marriage Equality Vote

Success! Adshel to put posters back

Adshel, the ad company which removed Brisbane’s HIV-awareness same-sex couple ad (pictured) from bus shelters after a clearly orchestrated campaign by the Australian Christian Lobby, has just announced it has reversed its decision and will immediately reinstate the campaign.

The decision follows widespread condemnation of the advertising promotion company, including a 36,000-member strong protest Facebook page and an impromptu protest outside its Brisbane office this lunchtime.

 

Read this article at http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/6870/Success-Adshel-to-put-posters-back.htm

Billboards preach gay love to Christians

Queensland media company Goa Billboards fought back against religious intolerance last night, posting a series of pro-gay signs on their digital billboards throughout Brisbane.

The billboards read: ‘Our God loves everyone gay & straight’ and the company plans to follow up the move with more signs of support to be posted on the digital screens until the end of the week.

 

Read this article at http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2011/06/02/billboards-preach-gay-love-to-christians/53654

Victorian Baillieu Govt strips rights protections

Less than a week after a tardy MP denied the Baillieu Liberal Government the numbers to pass a bill stripping back protections in the Victorian Equal Opportunities Act, the Government has brought the bill back for a second vote and passed it.

Under the rules of the Victorian Parliament a bill cannot be voted on more than once in a session of Parliament.

However the Government set procedure aside and brought the bill up for another vote despite outcry from the Victorian Opposition.

Victorian Attorney General Robert Clark pointed to the different rules used in the Federal Parliament regarding missed votes.

“It’s clearly recognised by the commonwealth parliament that in cases where there is a misadventure, where there is a missed vote, it is appropriate for the question to be again put.”

GLBT activists had appealed to government MPs to vote with their conscience but in the end the bill was passed unanimously by Coalition members in a vote of 43-42.

It is unclear at this stage whether putting the bill up for a vote in this manner could be subject to court challenge.

 

Read this article at http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2011/06/02/baillieu-government-strips-equal-opportunities-protections/53633

Christians force removal of safe sex ads

The leading provider of street furniture mounted advertising in Australia and New Zealand, Adshel, has removed posters for a Queensland Association of Healthy Communities (QAHC) campaign encouraging safe sex after a campaign of complaints about the ad from conservative Christians.

The posters show two fully clothed men, one nuzzling the neck of the other, with one of the men holding a condom packet in his hand.

Less than 50 complaints were made against the ad and were clearly variations on a form letter.

All were sent to Adshel in the space of a week.

A condom packet that forms part of a small logo on the posters is described in many of the complaints as being “huge”, implying many complainants had not even seen the posters, while the phrase “The only reason for homosexual men to need condoms is because their sexual intercourse carries with it a very high risk of serious disease” and “any condom ad in public spaces to children [sic] is unacceptable!” are common to many of the complaints.

Descriptions of the ad made by complainants included “Homosexual men are necking and cuddling each other,” and “the advertisement is promoting a type of condom to be used by homosexuals – for safe sex.”

Many of the posters that were complained about were situated in Brisbane’s pink Fortitude Valley precinct.

The posters were removed by Adshel without the consent of QAHC.

The Star Observer understands that the complaint campaign was orchestrated by Wendy Francis of the Australian Christian Lobby Queensland.

 

Read this article at http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2011/06/01/safe-sex-ads-removed-after-christian-complaints/53563