Getting married is a big event for many people. Being able to walk down
the aisle wearing a beautiful dress or standing at the alter as you wait for
the love of your life to walk through the doors. It can be the best moment of
your life. But for many Australian's a wedding can only be a dream. Currently,
same-sex marriage is illegal in Australia. Despite more and more states in
America legalizing same-sex marriage every day, Australia has yet to follow in
the US's footsteps. Our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has made it clear that
whilst under her government same-sex marriage will not be legalized.
As many as 550 thousand people in Australia currently identify as either
bisexual or homosexual. Meaning that 550 thousand people in Australia either
have about a fifty percent chance of not being able to marry their partner or
not being able to get married at all. This is both degrading and dehumanizing
to the LGBT* (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*) community. Shelley Smith, the
Equity and Diversity Officer at James Cook University in Cairns shared her
thoughts on the matter, stating that, "LGBT* people are clearly not
treated as [equal] members of society... The fact that a law actively excludes
a certain group of people is clearly discrimination and not only makes the
LGBT* people lesser in the eyes of the law, [but] the existence of this
legislation has a domino rollover effect to the general society, as it [is]
clearly seen by many in the community as the Government actively allowing
homophobia." She followed this statement up by saying that she believes
that same-sex marriage should be legalized in Australia.
This discrimination is a part of a bigger problem, as Smith mentioned.
Homophobia is deeply rooted within society and the LGBT* community is usually
on the receiving end of extensive abuse, both verbal and physical. This
comes from the homophobic and dangerous attitude that it instilled in
people from birth. This attitude is that being gay is wrong and immoral. As a
result, there is a higher rate of depression amongst homosexual people than
there is amongst heterosexual people. The depression rate amongst people who
identify as bisexual is even higher.
Many excuses for the continuous illegality of same-sex marriage can
range from the absurd to the ridiculous. Some popular excuses such as,
"The bible said Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," and "Allowing
same-sex marriage will destroy society. If we let gays get married, next we'll
be allowing pedophiles to marry children." Not only is that last
statement extremely homophobic and insulting, but it is completely untrue and
an overreaction from people who are so narrow minded that they can't see how
they're ignorance and harsh words are affecting those around them. Despite
people's assumptions, same-sex marriage being legalized will not be the end of
society as we know it. The only thing that will change will be same-sex
couple's rights to marry and people's perceptions of the LGBT* community, and
that will be for the better.
Think about it for one second. Most people who are homophobic or intolerant
to the LGBT* community are so because of how they were raised. Homophobia is a
taught trait in society. No one is born hating gay people, just as no one is
born a racist. In our current society, people view same-sex marriage being
illegal as the norm. A decade ago the majority of society didn't question it.
It's only in the past couple of years this fight for marriage equality has
really started to come into the public eye, and with it the issue of
homophobia.
Imagine one hundred years into the future. Same-sex marriage is legal
world-wide. No one questions it anymore. No one ridicules or abuses the LGBT*
community. It has become a part of the norm. Because despite people's beliefs,
legalizing same-sex marriage will not lead to pedophile's marrying children,
the world will not end and your children will not brainwashed or traumatized.
Same-sex couples will be allowed to marry and that is all that will come of
it.
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