In 1998, just two years from the twenty first century we have come a long way socially
and technologically in the last fifty years.  In Australia, our reputation for being a free,
liberal and democratic is unparalleled.  By law we are required to treat all, regardless of
colour, sex, sexual orientation, age or gender, equally.  In practice we all know this is not
the case.  Ten percent of Australians are gay or lesbian.  Many of these people are in
fulfilling, long-term relationships, however these couples have been declined the same
rights of a heterosexual couple.  They are unable to be legally married.  Now is the time
to rid our society of these inequalities, and put individuals rights into practice.  It is now
time to allow gay and lesbian couples to be legally recognised as married, and as a
family.

Gay marriages or de-facto homosexual relationships are not recognised by the law under
any circumstances.  A gay couple may have lived together for over forty years but if one
partner dies, the other does not automatically benefit from his/her estate.  This is unfair
and discriminatory.  For discrimination and segregation of these minority groups from the
community to stop, it is time the government took charge, and showed the public that the
gay community has just as many rights as the heterosexual community, and to be
recognised and protected in a court of law.

Within our community we must come to realise that our family values are forever
changing.  The nuclear family as we know it is virtually extinct.  We see many more sole
parent families, de-facto relationships, and a variety of distinct family units.  So why is it
that gay or lesbian couples don’t have a right to raise a child?  Is this because
heterosexual individuals are more capable of doing so?  Of course not.  Homosexual
couples can give a child all the love and support it needs for a ‘normal’ lifestyle.  Instead
of focusing on restricting these caring and nurturing people from raising children, we
should be targeting abusive parents who subject their children to physical and mental
abuse.  It is not only the drug-abusers, rapists, exploiters and hardened criminals who
should not have the right to raise children, people who are mentally unstable and
constantly put their children down, who don’t spend enough time caring to their needs,
and not being the support foundation every child needs in their lives should also not be
allowed to raise children.  During the International Year of the Family in 1995, many
calls were made for homosexuals to be seen by the law and society as fully constituted
families as proof has been shown that gay or lesbian parents are fully capable of raising
children.  The only problem the children may face is that of society’s attitudes.  In this
complex and fickle world, our government instead of limiting our rights and freedoms
should be concentrating on teaching our children, our future, the importance and
necessity of tolerance.

Well balanced children is what same sex parents, like heterosexual parents hope to
produce.  These parents operate on identical lines as heterosexual families experiencing
the same loving, fighting, caring and difficult times.  Many gay and lesbian parents who
had children from heterosexual partnerships take the time to meet with teachers and
principal to notify them of their domestic situation, thus to minimise bullying and social
torment of their children.  Many also recall their own pain of ‘being different’ when
young, which furthers their concern about protecting children from the same experience.
Most couples express a clear need for normality in the home demonstrating a healthy,
secure and open relationship.

Popular prejudice maintenance that such situations mould children into future ‘little
dykes and poofs’.  The common retort from gay parents was that heterosexual parents do
not always produce heterosexual children, why should homosexuals be anymore
successful in this regard?  Another major problem is in same sex families there are no
custody rights for partners if something happens to the biological parent.  Why is it that
competent, loving parents be stripped of their children and visitation rights simply
because of their sexuality?

You merely have to look at all the poor parenting that is plaguing our society.  Abused
children, runaway delinquents and broken lives are all evidence showing gender of the
parents has nothing to do with a happy, functional family relationship and healthy,
normal children.