Politicians are still in closet about opinions on same-sex marriage

In the world today, many people are considered to be second class citizens. Not because of their race, gender or even because of their age. It’s because of their sexuality. Something, which many people have stated time and time again, is simply a part of who they are. When asked about the somewhat controversial topic of same-sex marriage, many politicians try to avoid the questions and even go to the extreme lengths of ignoring them.

Most recently, the Independent Federal MP Bob Katter, was caught in the firing line of the media when two of his party members were quoted saying devastatingly homophobic comments, resulting in their resignation from the party. Bernard Gaynor, one of the offending party members, was suspended from the party after making horrendous comments saying that he, “would not allow gay teachers to teach his children” due to the “horrific lifestyle choices” that gay people “make”.  


This matter was later disputed on the popular channel ten show, The Project when Bob Katter was interviewed about said comments. Katter, who was not eager to talk about the topic of same sex marriage or the homophobic relations of his party, avoided answering the questions at all costs, with the interview eventually ending with the TV show’s hosts roasting him for his somewhat, appalling behaviour.


Sadly, this is not the only case of people’s intolerance towards the “controversial” topic. Although a lot of people support the movement for same-sex marriage to be legalized, not only in Australia but worldwide, many more people oppose it. 


It is due to these extreme numbers that politicians are so unwilling to share their opinions on the matter. However, America, unlike Australia, has already legalized same-sex marriage in several states, including; Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington. 


President Barack Obama has even come out in favour of same-sex marriage, saying, “[…] I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” 


If Julia Gillard wanted the same popularity in Australia, she would follow in the footsteps of Obama, renouncing her views against same-sex marriage and ending this ridiculous silence that today’s politicians have adopted when it comes to such a relevant topic to this day and age’s society.

University Life: Scary and Exciting

These past few weeks for me have been what some of you may call, “tumultuous”. I have moved away from home and everyone I know, and stepped into the brave and daring new world of university life.  

At first, I was terrified. Being surrounded by total strangers in a place I've never been and having all this new information thrown at me all at once, was enough in itself to make me want to run back to the safety of the reasonably small town I spent my life growing up in. But, I persevered through all the tears, trauma and the overwhelming home sickness, and here I am, finally starting the course I've been thinking about for a whole year; multimedia journalism.  

I've had my doubts and worries over the past twelve-or-so months. “What if I’m not good enough?”, “What if I hate it?”, “Is this really the right thing for me?” As for that last question, right now I’m not too sure. But, I’ll see what this semester throws my way, and whether I’m up for the tasks at hand.

As for the classes themselves, I would have to say that they are an interesting, if not overwhelming experience for me. (That’s not to say that I think the classes are bad in anyway, just different and new.) Being a year out of high school, I’m still used to having someone there to make sure that I’m doing the work. Whilst at university I have to rely on myself; to get the work done and to make sure that I’m doing it to a satisfactory level. 

At times, this can be a bit of a struggle. My mind is one of those that tends to wander, and staying on the same topic for long amounts of time can sometimes be a bit difficult, but I’m managing. However, the most detailed class to date would have to be JN1001: The Journalist and Society. 

Learning how to become a journalist is certainly going to push me out of my comfort zone. Usually I’m quite a shy and reserved person, but becoming a journalist will require me to push myself outside of this warm, safe shell I've created. Hopefully I can gain the persistence and confidence I need to get myself where I want to be in life, wherever that may be.