One question keeps interrupting the campaign, despite both major parties being against it and most being ambivalent about the whole thing. Marriage equality came up last month, when Penny Wong was asked why she didn't support it.

It came up last week, when Julia Gillard was asked by a lesbian why she couldn't marry the one she loved.

And this week on Q&A, Vietnam veteran Geoff Thomas asked why Tony Abbott couldn't overcome his prejudices and allow gays to marry - just as he had overcome his prejudices and accepted his gay son. Ignore it, refuse it, roll your eyes at it, but same-sex marriage is the issue that won't go away, one that comes not from the parties, but from the people.

When the Marriage Act was passed in 1961, legislators didn't bother to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. That didn't happen until 2004, when the Howard government with Labor support inserted this definition: "marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life".

At last count, 44 jurisdictions – including deeply religious Portugal, Spain and Mexico City – disagree. They think secular marriage is wider than that, it's the union of two people.

The first was the Netherlands in 2001, followed by Belgium. Argentina is the most recent, where marriage equality was allowed by the legislature, not by courtroom victories more common in the United States.

More at the source: http://www.smh.com.au

Police investigate Sydney gay bashing. A prominent gay rights activist was among four men allegedly assaulted by a lone attacker on Oxford Street in central Sydney on Monday night, in what the activist believes was a homophobic hate crime.

Police have charged a 34-year-old male with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation the attack on activist Simon Margan - the co-convenor of Community Action on Homophobia - and three other men. The attack left Mr Margan bleeding on the ground with a severely fractured left eye-socket.Police will allege it was one of four separate assaults by the same man at different locations along the famous party strip. Full Story at Source >

So what can we make of Election 2010?  It has been suggested by some that this is another “Seinfeld election” — an election about nothing in particular.

Already we’ve been bombarded with the slogans, the lines and the key messages that are an unavoidable part of campaigning in the 21st century.

Whether we are “moving forward” or “standing up” remains to be seen but really shouldn’t there be more to it than this?
So what is the election really about?

For me, it is about some fairly stark economic and social policy choices that will determine what sort of country we will be.

Prime Minister Gillard was spot on when she said the economic challenges of the future are ‘not a simplistic choice between the market and the state, but the more sophisticated challenges of market design so that we bring public and private resources together to deliver better services and increased productivity.’

Education is critical to this economic agenda because of the role it plays in developing the skills that lead to rewarding and satisfying employment and a high-productivity,
high-participation economy.

It is difficult to think of any investment that will generate returns as enduring as our investment in education.  
What Government invests today to expand opportunity for Australian children, will be paying dividends for most of the century ahead through higher participation, stronger productivity and increased economic growth.

That is why we can’t afford to lose momentum on Labor’s education reform agenda.  In my view, better schools and better educational opportunities for all Australians is something worth fighting for. This election offers a clear choice on education.

In social policy, the Prime Minister has spoken of  ‘speaking frankly… and seeking common ground consistent with the values that Australians share — values of fairness, respect for the rule of law, tolerance, compassion and responsibility.’

This means that everyone should be entitled to participate fully in society and receive the support and protection of the law, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In recent years, the ACT Labor Government and Federal Labor Government have reformed more than 150 Territory and Federal laws to achieve equality for gay and lesbian Canberrans. These changes are important and provide further evidence of the social policy choice we face at this election.  Does anybody seriously think that a Tony Abbott led Liberal Government would have delivered these reforms or will advance this agenda in the future?      

So what can we expect in the future?  Will there be further progress on social equality in the next Parliament?

Speaking frankly myself now, the Prime Minister’s recent comments on gay marriage demonstrate that social change does not come easily and full legal equality for gay and lesbian Australians will take time to achieve.

Marriage is a social institution, not just a law. Achieving equality will take more than convincing Julia Gillard — it requires a proper public debate about why it is wrong to exclude gays and lesbians from marriage.

Convincing a Federal Government to change the marriage act requires a rock solid and loud support base.

We don’t have that yet.

However, I remain convinced that with ongoing community support, the campaign for full equality will succeed.  I will continue to advocate for change in Federal Labor’s policy on marriage.

In the words of Mike Skinner:  ‘We’re on a mission, support the cause, sign a petition, summon all your wisdom.’

By Andrew Barr MLA
ACT Minister for Education and Training

Login to FUSE and make a comment on this article.

Family First Twitter Comments Homophobic, says Equal Love Canberra.

In a post to social networking site Twitter, Family First candidate Wendy Francis compared same-sex marriage to legalising child abuse. When interviewed about this, she then went even further to compare the children of LGBTI parents to the stolen generation. She also described equal marriage rights as a 'social experiment'.

Equal Love Canberra condemns Francis' comments.

"This is very insulting to the stolen generation. It really trivialises their suffering," commented Equal Love Canberra activist Farida Iqbal. "It is appalling that Wendy Francis wants to play off one oppressed minority group against another."

“Her views are outdated, homophobic, and are not backed by factual evidence.”

"The ban on same-sex marriage enforces the belief that LGBTI people are second class citizens. It legitimises prejudice. It makes it extremely difficult for people trying to come to terms with their sexuality. This entrenched homophobia is what causes many parents to hate their queer-identifying children. Imagine being kicked out of home after coming out to your family. Imagine having to fend for yourself on the street at thirteen years old. No wonder lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth have such a high suicide rate."

"Equal marriage rights are not a 'social experimentation'. They are normal in many traditional societies all over the world. There is no credible scientific evidence whatsoever that they are damaging to children or to society. This is recognised by the American Anthropological Association."

Equal Love Canberra is organising a demonstration for the right of LGBTI people to marry on the 14th of August, 1pm, Petrie Plaza.

Media Contacts: Farida Iqbal:  0412 109 160

Family First candidate has compared legitimising gay marriage to "legalising child abuse".

SMH reported:  Senate candidate for Family First Wendy Francis today stood by comments she made then deleted on social networking website Twitter, on which she compared legitimising gay marriage to "legalising child abuse".

She went even further in an interview today, comparing children from same-sex families with the stolen generations.

Ms Francis, Family First's lead Senate candidate in Queensland, said in a Twitter message yesterday: "Children in homosexual relationships are subject to emotional abuse. Legitimising gay marriage is like legalising child abuse."

Wendy Francis from Family First comments:

'Let's end the gay marriage debate and protect children from abuse'

'It is one thing to be homosexual; it's another thing altogether to then impose that on children.'

'I personally do not agree that kids being brought up with a gay couple as surrogate parents is in the best interests of the children.'

Listen to her interveiw > >