Rachel Evans, Sydney
On July 25, at least 250 people rallied at Sydney Town Hall to protest bipartisan support for amendments to the federal Marriage Act 1961 that would outlaw same-sex marriage.
Organised by Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH), the rally was endorsed by 15 groups, including Amnesty International's Gay Network. A month earlier, at least 800 people had attended a similar protest rally organised by the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby rally.
The legislative amendments passed through the House of Representatives on June 17 without Labor opposition. On June 23, the Senate referred the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill 2004 to a committee of inquiry.
Federal Labor MP Tanya Plibersek was loudly heckled when she spoke at the CAAH rally. "Labor didn't vote for this legislation", Plibersek said. "We allowed it to pass the House of Representatives so it could go to a Senate inquiry." She said that making submissions to the inquiry was the best way to "deflect the homophobic agenda" of the Howard government, rather than "fight on [John Howard's] terrain when there are so many more important battles to be had".
Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore said the federal government's claims of protecting traditional marriage were similar "to the idea last century that denying women the vote protected democracy".
Tasmanian gay rights advocate Rodney Croome said: "The Howard government has a long record of beating up minority issues into threats to middle Australia and then presenting itself as the only solution to these threats. First it was Aborigines and Wik. Then it was refugees and the Tampa. Now it's homosexuals and marriage. Pink is the new black."
John Kaye, a Greens NSW Senate candidate, accused both the Liberals and Labor of using "wedge politics" to deflect people's attention from the Iraq war and refugee crimes of both parties.
Kylie Moon, lead NSW Senate candidate for the Socialist Alliance, said: "If you are against your party's position on an issue then you should leave that party", referring to Plibersek's position.
The rally marched through the streets of Sydney to St Mary's Cathedral, home of homophobe Archbishop George Pell, where they were addressed by Alex Day, from the Canterbury-Bankstown Gay and Lesbian Group and Luke Gahan, from the newly formed Australian Marriage Equality group.
Gahan warned that some Christian groups had made large numbers of submissions opposing same-sex relationship recognition to the Senate inquiry. He urged gay men and lesbians to make their voices heard before the inquiry.
CAAH spokesperson Emelia Holdaway commented that "in the face of bipartisan support for a homophobic bill we showed we have cross party and broad community support".
[The next CAAH meeting is at 6.30pm on August 11 at the University of Technology Sydney, Tower Building. For more information, phone Rachel on 0403 798 420.]
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, August 4, 2004.
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