New South Wales is set to take one for the team, as it inches ever so closer to being the first Australian state to legalise gay marriage.
That pesky gravitational pull of a rainbow flag clogging the inhibitions of MPs nationally, and then convincing others to back-pedal profusely, has descended our nation in to a soggy wad of equality woes and contradictions, as we watch New Zealand, the UK and the United States all making gleaming, leaping strides in the name of egalitarianism. Huddled on the largest island on the planet, Australian gay rights activists have been feeling poignantly isolated among the ecstasy of sweet news that has been heralding around the world; rainbow flags across the seas flapping with a decided air of victory in the wind.
For Australia, not so much; our gay-rights victories small, never quite significant enough to eye even a speckled blotch of fundamental change lingering on the horizon. However, allow your optimism to incline rapidly, as an inquiry on Friday has laid the foundations for new legislation in NSW that seems to be backed by MPs across the political spectrum, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has promised a conscience vote on the issue of legalising gay marriage in the state, and SMH reports that, “A cross-party working group of MPs has told Fairfax Media it has made key changes to the Same Sex Marriage 2013 Bill, which will be introduced in the next session of Parliament. Supporters hope the private member’s bill will be voted on by the end of the year.”
Passionate supports of the bill, Labor MP Penny Sharpe, Nationals MP Trevor Khan, Liberal MP Bruce Notley-Smith, independent Alex Greenwich, and the Greens’ Mehreen Faruqi Read have assured that progress on the bill would be able to deflect any contest or challenge proposed by the High Court.
A widespread feeling the same-sex marriage laws should be tackled at a Federal level has dominated the discussion of the Gay Marriage debate, however after a bill last September was rendered useless as Tony Abbott refused Coalition members a conscience vote, taking the legislation to a State level may be the most effective way to spark the topic in to motion, and if it wins: ignite a domino effect around the nation.
The bill, which Labor MP Penny Sharpe will introduce to the Upper House, expecting a vote by the end of the year, is restricted to same sex marriages only (trans-sex will not be included), and supports recognition of gay marriages from other Australian states, but not those from overseas.
Crossing fingers and toes.
Via SMH.
