http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/gay-marriage/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cruel-treatment-of-marriage-refugees-to-end/ On February 1 the Federal Government will lift its ban on Australian same-sex partners receiving the documents they need to marry in other countries where same-sex marriage is allowed. To her great credit, Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs to start issuing certificates of no-impediment to marriage (CNIs) to same-sex couples marrying overseas on the same basis as they are now issued to heterosexual couples. A CNI is required by many foreign governments as proof the foreigner who wants to marry in their country is of marriageable age and isn’t already married where they come from.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cruel-treatment-of-marriage-refugees-to-end/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cruel-treatment-of-marriage-refugees-to-end/#item7626 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/youre-courting-disaster-naming-places-after-the-living/ Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/youre-courting-disaster-naming-places-after-the-living/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/youre-courting-disaster-naming-places-after-the-living/#item7611 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-biggest-bigots-are-the-buggers-who-blame-bigotry/ “Opinions are like orgasms: mine matters most, and I don’t care if you have one.” I’m not sure where I first read this, but it seems to typify public debate in Australia, where opposing parties love to discredit an argument by giving it a label: racist, sexist, chauvinist, insensitive, homophobe, ignorant… In philosophy classes, this type of argument was called an ad hominem, and it’s only reward was an F, but in public debate it’s a timesaver, a cheap political point. Remember when Bill Heffernan questioned Gillard’s leadership because she was “deliberately barren”? Same deal. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-biggest-bigots-are-the-buggers-who-blame-bigotry/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-biggest-bigots-are-the-buggers-who-blame-bigotry/#item7568 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gop-god-guns-and-gays/ On Wednesday, Iowa voters were the first in the union to ink their index finger, so to speak, handing Mitt Romney a win with one of the barest margins in recent history - just eight votes - but for all intents giving Rick Santorum the decisive moral victory. Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry rounded out the top five. A mediocre cache of candidates in 2012 for sure, but in a lot of ways that makes it all the more frightening, mainly (but not exclusively) for gays in America. Some 60,000 people caucused for Romney and Santorum; the difference between the two was less than half a Duggar family. That’s the family famous for 19 Kids and Counting, the reality series about evangelical Christians Jim Bob (yes, really) and Michelle Duggar and their brood of nineteen children (yes, really really). Twelve Duggar children travelled to Iowa to support Rick Santorum, trumpeting his socially conservative religious views. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gop-god-guns-and-gays/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gop-god-guns-and-gays/#item7487 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/give-the-coalition-time-and-theyll-vote-for-gay-marriage/ Marriage equality is too serious an issue to play political games with and too important an issue to be set up to fail. This is why supporters of the reform want calm heads to prevail and for the bill to be introduced at the right time. It’s important the Labor Party approaches this reform strategically and doesn’t jump the gun. Too many people within Labor have worked too hard to change the ALP’s policy platform for it all to be squandered on a premature vote. Because the ALP has allowed a conscience vote for its MPs, reform has very little chance unless the Coalition allows a conscience vote too. Coalition leader Tony Abbott has so far ruled out a conscience vote, but there is growing support within the Coalition for a different, fairer approach. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/give-the-coalition-time-and-theyll-vote-for-gay-marriage/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/give-the-coalition-time-and-theyll-vote-for-gay-marriage/#item7469 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-reshuffles-the-deck-chairs-without-conscience/ Prime Minister Gillard’s reshuffle tops off her year of living dangerously. She went out on a limb with carbon pricing, pokie reform, plain tobacco packaging and increased superannuation in spite of spirited opposition and has won the battle, if not hearts and minds, on most of them. Poker machine reform is outstanding and continues to bite the ALP hard, especially in the eastern states and in communities dependent on local pubs and clubs. Ms Gillard’s decision to sacrifice the Speaker role is her way of gearing up for the pokies fight by mitigating the influence of Andrew Wilkie. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-reshuffles-the-deck-chairs-without-conscience/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gillard-reshuffles-the-deck-chairs-without-conscience/#item7357 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/good-luck-gays-us-straight-people-have-ruined-marriage/ Every so often you get to witness the laws in the culture you live in take a creaky step, tortoise-like, towards catching up with the hare that is our fast-evolving collective value system; in this case, the move towards recognising gay marriage. For the gay community, and for the forward-thinking among the rest of us, it’s great to think we will probably no longer discriminate in granting of the legal rights and status of marriage. Like millions of other Aussies, I’m all for equality. But the first question that springs to mind in 2011 is what, exactly, have gays won the right to? What on earth does “marriage” mean right now? And is it possible that even before homosexuals have the right to partake of it, us matrimonially-elastic and readily-divorcing straights have left the marital meringue out in the rain? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/good-luck-gays-us-straight-people-have-ruined-marriage/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/good-luck-gays-us-straight-people-have-ruined-marriage/#item7298 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gay-marriage-theres-nothing-easy-about-saying-i-do/ It says a lot about changing community standards that a state such as Queensland, which under Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen was every civil libertarian’s nightmare, has this week voted to recognise same-sex unions. Or does it? It could show that the Queensland Parliament has responded to majority community sentiment in support of gay marriage. Or it could just show that the Queensland Parliament is now home to a majority of MPs who support gay marriage. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gay-marriage-theres-nothing-easy-about-saying-i-do/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/gay-marriage-theres-nothing-easy-about-saying-i-do/#item7284 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Conference-turns-to-conscience-on-conjugality/ John Howard said it helped MPs “reflect upon their experiences, values”. Kim Beazley said it was “a wonderful thing” to do. The late John Button said, “Let the winds of principle blow through the House.” They were talking about exercising a parliamentary conscience vote and were so enthusiastic for it you would imagine conscience votes happen all the time. But they don’t, for reasons shared by leaders of all major parties. In fact they are rare. By my calculation there were 30 conscience votes in Federal Parliament between 1955 and now. (The always-splendid Parliamentary Library has this research paper.) Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants to make that tally 31 by tomorrow, asking the ALP national conference in Sydney for a conscience vote on gay marriage. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Conference-turns-to-conscience-on-conjugality/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Conference-turns-to-conscience-on-conjugality/#item7285 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died? http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-piece-of-paper-between-me-and-happiness/ The Age reported this morning that former Tasmanian premier David Bartlett has called on the Labor Party to overturn marriage laws that prevent gay marriage, even by Australians in countries where same-sex marriages are legal. The call came after Bartlett’s half-sister, Angela Borella, was prevented from marrying her partner in Portugal. Here, Angela tells her story. I met her earlier this year in Indonesia. She is Portuguese. I am Australian. We knew after ten days that we never wanted to be apart, so when my medical volunteer contract ended in Indonesia six weeks later, I flew to Portugal to be with her and we now live in Lisbon. She is the most kind, caring and beautiful person I have ever met. It is like we’ve always known each other. She knows me better than I know myself. I’ve never felt so loved in my entire years. I would give everything I have for her happiness. She makes me feel complete and whole. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-piece-of-paper-between-me-and-happiness/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-piece-of-paper-between-me-and-happiness/#item7233 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Margaret Court has been, well, courting controversy these past weeks. The former world no.1 tennis star, turned pastor, has raised the ire of many with a volley of comments labelling homosexuality a sin. Earlier this week the tennis great wrote in The Herald Sun: “Australia is in a steep moral decline”, “especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality”. Outraged gay rights supporters have returned serve. They’re pushing for the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park to stripped of its name and they’ve been encouraging Australian Open attendees to drape themselves in rainbow in defiance. The kerfuffle is sure making a racket, but there’s something else at fault here. Since when were places named after people while they were alive anyway? Isn’t the whole point of naming a place after someone to commemorate the life and achievements of a person, you know, after they’ve died?