BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE
HOBART Key Tasmanian government leaders stepped in to water down proposed Significant Personal Relationships legislation before it was presented to parliament on June 19. This is despite the fact that the original legislation is reported to have the support of the majority of Labor MPs.
The Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group (TGLRG) is currently lobbying upper house members to ensure that at least the weakened legislation will be passed.
The key feature of the original legislation that has been removed is the provision allowing lesbian and gay couples to be considered as adoptive parents in "general placement" adoptions. The amended legislation only allows lesbian and gay parents to adopt children already in their care (for example, the child of their own same-sex partner).
"Not allowing same-sex couples to adopt children up for general placement adoption sends out the very pointed message that lesbian and gay parenting is second-rate and dysfunctional", the TGLRG's June 17 Equality Bulletin argued. "Effectively, the government is saying that it tolerates existing same-sex couple families but will not have a hand in the creation of new ones. This will do nothing but deepen prejudice against gay and lesbian people, especially lesbian and gay parents and their children."
According to the TGLRG, the government received more supportive letters for the original legislation than on any previous issue relating to lesbians and gay men.
"A combination of behind-the-scenes Church lobbying and anti-democratic power-plays has left us with legislation which, while it is the best in the country in almost every respect, will entrench the low social status of lesbian and gay parenting", stated the Equality Bulletin.
"The way Tasmanian adoption reform has been nobbled also sets a poor precedent for reform in other states. Labor governments considering reform in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane will now be tempted to imitate Tasmanian Labor's compromise.
"Just as bad is what the Bacon government's adoption option says about political decision-making in Tasmania. Clearly our future is in the hands of a small number of men whose motives and processes are hidden from public scrutiny."
From Green Left Weekly, June 25, 2003.
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