Over the weekend, the US achieved marriage equality, making it the 21st country to recognise same-sex marriage nation wide (source). And yet Australia still lags behind.
Why are we still arguing about the right for homosexual couples to be married? Why are we still focusing on that issue, discussing it, arguing it, when there are far more important issues affecting our society to debate?
Not so long ago I saw a statement shared on facebook that riled me up over this, once again.
Children have a natural right to a mother and a father. While we cannot always guarantee that right in a world where tragedy and heartache occur, we should craft public policy around the imperative to protect and advance that right as best we can.Redefining marriage to include same-sex couple does precisely the opposite. It uses the law to create a new social norm built on the desires of adults, rather than the needs of children. If successful, it will inevitably result in more Australian children living in homes without a father or without a mother.Who among us would give up having our dad around? Who of us would sacrifice our mother? And yet we have adults who are happy to sacrifice the love of a mother or a father on the alter of political popularity.It is true that children can't vote. And so it is easy for Parliament to deny their natural rights. But it is also cowardly and deeply destructive to the long term health of our society.I am writing to ask you to be a bold advocate for our children, to protect their natural rights, and to stand for the future of Australia. Redefining marriage is a step backwards for our children. Let's stand boldly against it.
I disagree with the idea that the sex of a parent in any way affects their ability to raise a child. The ability to be a good parent has absolutely nothing to do with a person's genitals.
Yes, I will be a bold advocate for children. I will protect their natural rights, and stand for the future of Australia.
It is the right of a child to have a carer who will shelter them, provide for them, look after them, nurture them and yes, love them.
It is the right of a child to live without fear of persecution, abuse, harm of any kind.
It is the right of a child to have food, shelter, clean water, medical aid and education.
Providing two consenting adults with the ability to make a legal commitment to each other in no way jeopardizes those rights.
Too much time has been wasted discussing marriage equality when those rights are being disgustingly jeopardized by our government in detention centres, are being jeopardized by poverty, are being jeopardized by a legal system that makes far too few convictions on sexual crime or domestic violence, by a system that is woefully under-resourced for dealing with the mounting number of cases of children in homes where those needs are not being met.
If you wish to be a bold advocate for children's rights, and you should be, focus your attention on the real atrocities being done to children, not the possibility of them being put in a home with two parents who happen to have the same genitals as each other.
When there are truly important things to worry about, when people are really being hurt and injured, why are we still wasting breath arguing over something that harms no one and the majority of Australians are in favour of. Surely it's time we put this issue to bed?
