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On October 21 2011 06:36 Darkalbino wrote:
Any way, I am yet to see an Australian politics thread. So feel free to discuss both the main article and any other issues.
The reason we don't see many threads about Australian politics is because at the moment we don't have a functional government. Wasting time and breath discussing anything political when it comes to Australia
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On October 21 2011 08:12 DoubleReed wrote: There is zero talk about churches being forced to marry anyone. If you think government shouldn't meddle with religion then how about people that believe that homosexual marriages are perfectly okay with their religion? Do you think they should have to register for "partnerships" while heterosexuals register for marriages? It's up to each church to set the rules regarding marriage. The swedish state church voted yes for gay marriage some years ago, but I think they would have voted no if there was another option for gay marriage that was considered by the government as equal to the old-fashioned marriage. That's the direction we should be heading instead imo. Religion is highly individual and needs to be seperate from the state. Being highly religious myself, I still realize that a whole nation united by God doesn't work in practice, since not everybody is willing to accept God. And since freedom of choice is the greatest virtue, the state needs to be 100% unbiased by religion. It's not a question of what's natural or what's right, it's a question of freedom. As they say, as long as two ppl do something in consent, and they are not hurting anyone else, then they should have every right to do whatever they want. I think the governments all over the world have a responsibility to offer alternatives that are seen as equal to church marriage. No religious person would object to that unless they were misinformed.
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On October 21 2011 10:34 dtvu wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2011 10:27 The KY wrote:On October 21 2011 10:24 dtvu wrote:On October 21 2011 10:03 TOloseGT wrote:On October 21 2011 09:59 dtvu wrote:On October 21 2011 09:22 TOloseGT wrote:On October 21 2011 09:15 dtvu wrote:Children often imitate our behaviours, so the question is that are we comfortable with our children seeing this as the norm and imitating it. Will the child believe he/she is gay because his/her parents are gay?
From my point of view, I don't know why gay people would want to enter into Marriage in the first place. If they want a wedding ceremony, they could simply hold a private one and there are de facto laws to safe guard long term relationships. Marriage in this day and age is simply a piece of paper that can be ripped up. However, if gay people want to have their right to marriage, than my view is to just let them, why bother stopping it when they are already fixed in their mind set. Maybe with them legally bound, we will see a reduce HIV spread in their community due less infidelity. Ah yes, the infamous "think of the children" remark. I point you to heterosexual parents that indoctrinate their children into cults, I also point you to gay parents that raised intelligent heterosexual children. I don't know about Australia's marriage system, but in the U.S., state recognized marriage gives couples rights that civil unions don't provide. In this case, marriage isn't just a piece of paper. As for your comment about HIV, LMFAO at you. You are not getting what I'm saying, I have no problem with gay marriage, I'm merely raising issues that's out there. This is not just a subset of children, this is every child. It is like a revolution to an extent since the way society will change will be very dynamic and we need to have the infrastructure in place to go with the change in Marriage law. I know that HIV is common with the hetero population as well and that heterosexually are prob even less faithful. Just an off-hand comment, applies to everyone with HIV. I don't understand why you assume there will be a revolution. There is a gradual trend in acceptance of homosexuality. What's wrong with a gradual acceptance of homosexual marriage? We will definitely see more Prop 8s and NY's gay marriage amendment, and if it take one state per year to legalize gay marriage across the nation, so be it. Your offhand comment was wrong and distasteful. I think you need to lighten up, I don't particularly care all that much since this is a forum - free speech. Well...technically TL has no obligation to uphold your right to free speech, they can ban anyone they want to at any time. Not saying you should get banned, just pointing that out. Well it's not like I flaming or trolling, I merely presented my views with a comment. How can we have a proper discussion of people are instantly saying someone's views are wrong. There are no black and white, only grey areas. This is why there's discussion. Key note that I have no problem with gay marriages. It's funny how even if you are on their side, you have to say what they want you to say. This is reverse oppression isn't it?
Yeah, I wasn't getting involved in your discussion, I can see you clearly stated you supported gay marriage, can't agree with the 'think of the children' bit but seems like your hearts in the right place.
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I've never quite understood the issue here. To my knowledge, there are no practical legal differences between a married heterosexual couple and a gay couple. The gay couple becomes a de facto partnership and are treated under the law as though they were married.
If I'm wrong, by all means correct me, but it it seems like this whole thing is an argument over the definition of a word. There's little legal discrimination left, even in Australia. If there is, I agree it should probably be removed... but what's wrong with a gay union being called something other than marriage?
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On October 21 2011 09:31 vetinari wrote: As for the last: citation please. From what I recall, the only study to deal with that was self reporting early and mid childhood outcomes.
What I want to see, is if two gay parents are more/less likely to raise productive and law abiding adult citizens, than the traditional nuclear family (controlling for income). Frankly, I don't give a shit if children are happier or not from ages 5-12, if from 18 onwards they are lazy, narcissistic pricks.
Here's a review from the American Psychological Association
You can check out the papers cited, if you like. That's only up to 2004, of course.
Here's one that looks at Delinquency, Victimization, and Substance Use Among Adolescents With Female Same-Sex Parents. You can read more into it, but here's the gist:
Analyses indicated that adolescents were functioning well and that their adjustment was not associated with family type. Adolescents whose parents described closer relationships with them reported less delinquent behavior and substance use, suggesting that the quality of parent–adolescent relationships better predicts adolescent outcomes than does family type.
This doc contains some good references
Despite considerable variation in the quality of their samples, research design, measurement methods, and data analysis techniques, the findings to date have been remarkably consistent. Empirical studies comparing children raised by sexual minority parents with those raised by otherwise comparable heterosexual parents have not found reliable disparities in mental health or social adjustment (Patterson, 1992, 2000; Perrin, 2002; Stacey & Biblarz, 2001; see also Wainright et al., 2004). Differences have not been found in parenting ability between lesbian mothers and heterosexual mothers (Golombok et al., 2003; Parks, 1998; Perrin, 2002). Studies examining gay fathers are fewer in number (e.g., Bigner & Jacobsen, 1989, 1992; Miller, 1979) but do not show that gay men are any less fit or able as parents than heterosexual men (for reviews, see Patterson, 2004; Perrin & Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, 2002).
It's up to you to look into it and consider whether those studies measure up in your opinion, but the findings are very consistent and clear: "Overall, results of research suggest that the development, adjustment, and well-being of children with lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly from that of children with heterosexual parents." (from the APA review linked above)
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On October 21 2011 10:30 Charlatan wrote: As the OP said, I think the country is much too homophobic for this to actually pass. (And it's quite refreshing to see something besides an overzealous "patriot" talking about Australia. The minute I criticise anything about this country around my friends, I'm told I should find somewhere I think is better.)
I don't know why people are arguing that it's unnatural. That's a flimsy suggestion, and seems like a cheap substitute for "God wouldn't allow it".
I'd have to disagree, I've rarely come across anyone who has anything against it and despite some of the boganesque attitudes held by many, homosexuality seems to be very widely accepted from what I've seen.
EDIT: Of course I don't know everyone, just saying this from the interactions I've had with people.
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On October 21 2011 10:39 Belisarius wrote: I've never quite understood the issue here. To my knowledge, there are no practical legal differences between a married heterosexual couple and a gay couple. The gay couple becomes a de facto partnership and are treated under the law as though they were married.
If I'm wrong, by all means correct me, but it it seems like this whole thing is an argument over the definition of a word. There's little legal discrimination left, even in Australia. If there is, I agree it should probably be removed... but what's wrong with a gay union being called something other than marriage?
If there are no differences, then why should there be any difference in the terms? The downside is that it separates gay couples from heterosexual couples. This separation has fairly significant effects on the mental health of, already often ostracized, gays and lesbians.
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On October 21 2011 10:40 Phenny wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2011 10:30 Charlatan wrote: As the OP said, I think the country is much too homophobic for this to actually pass. (And it's quite refreshing to see something besides an overzealous "patriot" talking about Australia. The minute I criticise anything about this country around my friends, I'm told I should find somewhere I think is better.)
I don't know why people are arguing that it's unnatural. That's a flimsy suggestion, and seems like a cheap substitute for "God wouldn't allow it". I'd have to disagree, I've rarely come across anyone who has anything against it and despite some of the boganesque attitudes held by many, homosexuality seems to be very widely accepted from what I've seen. EDIT: Of course I don't know everyone, just saying this from the interactions I've had with people.
I probably shouldn't speak for the whole country based on my own interactions, but homophobia has been a consistent attitude amongst acquaintances and strangers. I'd be happy to eat my words, should this legislation pass.
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On October 21 2011 10:47 Charlatan wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2011 10:40 Phenny wrote:On October 21 2011 10:30 Charlatan wrote: As the OP said, I think the country is much too homophobic for this to actually pass. (And it's quite refreshing to see something besides an overzealous "patriot" talking about Australia. The minute I criticise anything about this country around my friends, I'm told I should find somewhere I think is better.)
I don't know why people are arguing that it's unnatural. That's a flimsy suggestion, and seems like a cheap substitute for "God wouldn't allow it". I'd have to disagree, I've rarely come across anyone who has anything against it and despite some of the boganesque attitudes held by many, homosexuality seems to be very widely accepted from what I've seen. EDIT: Of course I don't know everyone, just saying this from the interactions I've had with people. I probably shouldn't speak for the whole country based on my own interactions, but homophobia has been a consistent attitude amongst acquaintances and strangers. I'd be happy to eat my words, should this legislation pass.
You most live somewhere pretty stuck in old beliefs then, It's the opposite situation for me.
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On October 21 2011 10:47 Charlatan wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2011 10:40 Phenny wrote:On October 21 2011 10:30 Charlatan wrote: As the OP said, I think the country is much too homophobic for this to actually pass. (And it's quite refreshing to see something besides an overzealous "patriot" talking about Australia. The minute I criticise anything about this country around my friends, I'm told I should find somewhere I think is better.)
I don't know why people are arguing that it's unnatural. That's a flimsy suggestion, and seems like a cheap substitute for "God wouldn't allow it". I'd have to disagree, I've rarely come across anyone who has anything against it and despite some of the boganesque attitudes held by many, homosexuality seems to be very widely accepted from what I've seen. EDIT: Of course I don't know everyone, just saying this from the interactions I've had with people. I probably shouldn't speak for the whole country based on my own interactions, but homophobia has been a consistent attitude amongst acquaintances and strangers. I'd be happy to eat my words, should this legislation pass.
I think it'd be based more on geography. If you live in Sydney or Melbourne or other bigger cities, I think you'd find more liberal and accepting people if compared to living in a smaller rural community. Isolated communities tend to be fairly conservative, iunno they're always points of contention. Being from Sydney iunno it feels like there's a lot of socially progressive people turning 18 that don't mind it, most people have met gay people and aren't indoctrinated to hate them unconditionally at least in my experiences.
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Definitely against gay marriage, it really is a slippery slope this equality for everyone BS. If they really want equality they should stop giving grants to people 1/8th aboriginal and cease affirmative action.
What really irks me is the notion of gay unions raising children, do they have no respect for the rights of children? Every child should have the right to have a Mother and a Father.
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Is Australia very religious? The reason the USA has such a hard time with gay marriage is the fact that religious people tend to be opposed. I never knew of Australia as a very religious country...
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On October 21 2011 10:39 Belisarius wrote: I've never quite understood the issue here. To my knowledge, there are no practical legal differences between a married heterosexual couple and a gay couple. The gay couple becomes a de facto partnership and are treated under the law as though they were married.
If I'm wrong, by all means correct me, but it it seems like this whole thing is an argument over the definition of a word. There's little legal discrimination left, even in Australia. If there is, I agree it should probably be removed... but what's wrong with a gay union being called something other than marriage?
Very good point here.
If we redefine what it is that gay people want, then the argument makes more sense. Essentially, AFAIK gay people want to have the same LEGAL recognition as others with regard to entering into a "life partnership". So Why not give them that right ? It doesn't have to be called "Marriage" it could be called "Ooble Wooble" (or "Civil Union") for all I care, as long as a same sex couple can end up with the same LEGAL rights as a mixed sex couple with regard to their relationship.
Let the churchies keep "Marriage" and relegate that to a purely religious ceremony with no recognition under law, or at least give it the same recognition as "Ooble Wooble"
After all, the current situation is that after your "ceremony", you still need to sign some documentation and have it lodged with the Dept of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the Marriage to have any sort of Govt recognition.
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On October 21 2011 10:55 Babs1337 wrote: Definitely against gay marriage, it really is a slippery slope this equality for everyone BS. If they really want equality they should stop giving grants to people 1/8th aboriginal and cease affirmative action.
What really irks me is the notion of gay unions raising children, do they have no respect for the rights of children? Every child should have the right to have a Mother and a Father.
Read my links above. Why do you think this about children's rights? Should single parents not be allowed to keep their children?
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supporting a religious tradition, whos responsible for the the entire phobia discrimination in the first place. well thought out. instead of supporting marriage, shouldn't we as an advancing civilization be trying to kill the concept?
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United States7483 Posts
On October 21 2011 10:55 Babs1337 wrote: Definitely against gay marriage, it really is a slippery slope this equality for everyone BS. If they really want equality they should stop giving grants to people 1/8th aboriginal and cease affirmative action.
What really irks me is the notion of gay unions raising children, do they have no respect for the rights of children? Every child should have the right to have a Mother and a Father.
Way to ignore all of the scientific evidence already presented in this thread, stop being ignorant, stop being bigoted, and go educate yourself.
And slippery slopes are nonsense.
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United States7483 Posts
On October 21 2011 10:58 ShatterStorm wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2011 10:39 Belisarius wrote: I've never quite understood the issue here. To my knowledge, there are no practical legal differences between a married heterosexual couple and a gay couple. The gay couple becomes a de facto partnership and are treated under the law as though they were married.
If I'm wrong, by all means correct me, but it it seems like this whole thing is an argument over the definition of a word. There's little legal discrimination left, even in Australia. If there is, I agree it should probably be removed... but what's wrong with a gay union being called something other than marriage?
Very good point here. If we redefine what it is that gay people want, then the argument makes more sense. Essentially, AFAIK gay people want to have the same LEGAL recognition as others with regard to entering into a "life partnership". So Why not give them that right ? It doesn't have to be called "Marriage" it could be called "Ooble Wooble" (or "Civil Union") for all I care, as long as a same sex couple can end up with the same LEGAL rights as a mixed sex couple with regard to their relationship. Let the churchies keep "Marriage" and relegate that to a purely religious ceremony with no recognition under law, or at least give it the same recognition as "Ooble Wooble" After all, the current situation is that after your "ceremony", you still need to sign some documentation and have it lodged with the Dept of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the Marriage to have any sort of Govt recognition.
Marriage has social value. Being able to say that you are married is valuable, even if it's no functionally different from a civil union in a legal perspective. Using a different term is segregation, which is inherently unjust.
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Do you guys vote on the legality of straight marriage too?
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On October 21 2011 11:17 Whitewing wrote:Show nested quote +On October 21 2011 10:58 ShatterStorm wrote:On October 21 2011 10:39 Belisarius wrote: I've never quite understood the issue here. To my knowledge, there are no practical legal differences between a married heterosexual couple and a gay couple. The gay couple becomes a de facto partnership and are treated under the law as though they were married.
If I'm wrong, by all means correct me, but it it seems like this whole thing is an argument over the definition of a word. There's little legal discrimination left, even in Australia. If there is, I agree it should probably be removed... but what's wrong with a gay union being called something other than marriage?
Very good point here. If we redefine what it is that gay people want, then the argument makes more sense. Essentially, AFAIK gay people want to have the same LEGAL recognition as others with regard to entering into a "life partnership". So Why not give them that right ? It doesn't have to be called "Marriage" it could be called "Ooble Wooble" (or "Civil Union") for all I care, as long as a same sex couple can end up with the same LEGAL rights as a mixed sex couple with regard to their relationship. Let the churchies keep "Marriage" and relegate that to a purely religious ceremony with no recognition under law, or at least give it the same recognition as "Ooble Wooble" After all, the current situation is that after your "ceremony", you still need to sign some documentation and have it lodged with the Dept of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the Marriage to have any sort of Govt recognition. Marriage has social value. Being able to say that you are married is valuable, even if it's no functionally different from a civil union in a legal perspective. Using a different term is segregation, which is inherently unjust.
I don't think using a different term is really unjust. Many gay people already refer to their significant other as their "Life Partner" or "Significant Other" rather than my "Wife/Husband". If there is already a whole other vocabulary in place to deal with the social dynamics of a same sex relationship, taking it to a formal level is simply giving them the recognition they desire. As long as the legalities equate similarly to mixed sex "permanent' relationships. then the differences in terminology shouldn't matter.
For the sake of convenience though, a gay couple could still say "we are married and this is my Husband/Wife" if they wanted too even though the actual function performed was a civil union. People would know what they meant even if they never set foot in a church to be "Union-ed"
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On October 21 2011 10:55 Babs1337 wrote: Definitely against gay marriage, it really is a slippery slope this equality for everyone BS. If they really want equality they should stop giving grants to people 1/8th aboriginal and cease affirmative action.
What really irks me is the notion of gay unions raising children, do they have no respect for the rights of children? Every child should have the right to have a Mother and a Father.
It's unfortunate that people like this are still around. When you pair conservatism with a low iq the outcome is a passionate, unwarranted, irrational and idiotic argument that cannot be supported by anything other than emotion.
It's also unfortunate that the quantity of these kinds of people in the world is so enormous, significantly slowing the progress of our development.
Sigh
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