Candy is meant to be one of the traditional gifts to celebrate an anniversary of six years, however there’s nothing sweet about the sixth anniversary of the same-sex marriage ban this month.
On August 13 six years ago, the Australian Parliament introduced legislation that would cement the inequities of LGBT relationships into law.
In 2004, Australian politicians took part in fierce debate over the purpose of marriage and the value of homosexual relationships.
The same-sex marriage debate reached boiling point in August that year, as former PM John Howard asked the Senate to push through the controversial Marriage Amendment Bill 2004.
When the ban was first introduced, Equal Rights Network’s Rodney Croome condemned the law and said it carved the second-class status of same-sex marriage into legislative stone.
‘This is a very dark day in Australian history,’ Croome told the ABC back in 2004.
Six years on and Rodney Croome continues this campaign against the ban, as one of the most prominent and vocal activists in the nation.
Croome told OUTinPerth while major party opposition to marriage equality seemed strong, it was brittle and would collapse sooner than many people expected.
‘Public opinion has swung firmly in favour of reform and there are many high profile supporters including members of the major parties,’ Croome said.
‘As well as marriage equality, national sexuality and gender identity discrimination laws are long overdue.’
State-based civil unions and domestic partnerships have since flourished around the nation with NSW, ACT, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania recognising homosexual relationships.
The recent 2008 federal law amendments have also given all same-sex relationships in Australia minimum standing as de facto relationships; however Croome said more reform was needed.
Earlier this year, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young tried to introduce the Marriage Equality Bill after a senate inquiry received more than 25,000 submissions.
On February 25, she told the ABC she hoped both major parties would allow their members a conscience vote on the issue that would effectively remove the marriage ban.
Despite the significant concessions given to the LGBT community in 2008, the Senate united against the Greens for a defeat of 45 votes to five.
‘There may have been a group of senators voting to keep discrimination against same-sex couples being able to marry the one they love, but well over one third of all senators were absent for the final vote, presumably the only form of protest open to them,’ Hanson-Young said.
Shortly after, the Greens pledged to reintroduce the bill after the federal election this month.
Benn Dorrington
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