Category Archives: queer

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A collection of articles about the gay marriage ban in Australia:
“Australia’s conservative national government has overruled a local law allowing gay unions.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the first part of the country to legally recognise gay relationships when it voted on the issue last month.
But now the federal government has stepped in to invalidate the new law.”
Australia overrules gay union law, BBC.
The latest:
“The Australian Greens and Democrats tomorrow will seek to overturn the federal government’s decision to block ACT laws allowing same-sex civil unions.
This morning Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock announced that Governor-General Michael Jeffrey had agreed to use his powers to disallow the ACT law, which would have allowed gay couples to have their relationships registered and legally recognised.”
Minor parties fight gay marriage ban, The Age.
“Coalition Senators are being urged to cross the floor and over-ride the Government’s move to disallow ACT civil unions laws.
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ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell has attacked the Governor-General’s decision, calling it arrogant and undemocratic.
Mr Corbell says the issue of same sex unions will not go away and he will continue to push for legal recognition for gay couples.
“We will pursue all options to provide for equality under the law for people in same sex relationships,” he said.”
Senators urged to protect civil unions, ABC.
One reason Australia needs to allow gay marriage:
“Mr Walters said the inability of gay people to have their relationships formally and legally recognised caused great damage.
“The implication that (homosexuality) is in some way shameful or second class cannot be avoided when we treat people in this way,” he said.
“We have a high rate of youth suicide in Australia – one of the highest in the world – and one reason for that is where people’s sexuality is not accepted by the wider community and the message that sends is very damaging to those who are just finding out about their sexuality,” he said.”
Rights group slams gay marriage ban, The Age.
And a bit of a conspiracy theory:
“The federal government’s decision comes just after a push by United States President George Bush for a constitutional ban on gay marriage.”
Gay couples to lose right to say ‘I do’, The Age.

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“Gay couples will be able to say “I do” in Canberra within two weeks, after the ACT yesterday fast-tracked its civil union laws in defiance of the Commonwealth’s decision to scuttle them.
ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the Government would reduce the notification period for people wishing to enter into civil unions, to enable ceremonies to begin within a fortnight.
The new laws

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“Comic book heroine Batwoman is to make a comeback as a “lipstick lesbian” who moonlights as a crime fighter, a DC Comics spokesman has confirmed.” (BBC)

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I thought this was an interesting statement, from a page about the Bible and homosexuality:
“We have been unable to change the beliefs or actions of any of these hundreds of people on even one point related to homosexuality. Their views appear to be fixed. It is doubtful that much progress towards compromise on homosexual rights can be made by means of dialogue. We don’t expect that the attached essays will change the beliefs of many visitors to this web site. However, the essays may help people understand opinions that are not their own.”
My theory has always been that your politics are generally based on your emotional make up (unless they’re a reaction to your parents’ or culture, for example) and your views on the Bible are probably much the same. You can’t change someone’s mind if they don’t want to change, but you can give them information that will let them make an informed decision. Unless they’re a schoolkid in America, of course.

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“The Australian government has said it will oppose any new laws legalising gay civil unions.
Prime Minister John Howard said he did not intend to allow the institution of marriage “to be in any way undermined”.
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The head of the ACT government, John Stanhope, said Mr Ruddock’s reaction revealed homophobia in the Howard administration.
“One has to pose the question of whether or not the real reason (for Mr Ruddock’s stance) is that there is no place in John Howard’s Australia for homosexuals,” he told ABC radio.” (BBC)

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It’s rare to read anything that might acknowledge gender as performance in the mainstream press, so I really liked this quote from Felicity Huffman about preparing for her role in Transamerica:
“It made me think of my own femininity and my own lack of femininity, because I take it for granted. It became a lesson in learning femininity as if it were a foreign language. Everything was studied, unfamiliar, everything I had to practise. You become extraordinarily self-conscious.” (Guardian Weekend)