Outgoing President George W. Bush is hoping to use the rights of same-sex couples as a battering ram in this year's US presidential election campaign. It's an old tactic of ruling elites to exploit religious bigotry.
But the Republicans and the religious right failed in their attempt to amend the US constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. This is significant in a country where 40% of the population are regular churchgoers, and there is a large coalition of ultra-conservative religious groups.
Public opinion swung against Bush's wedge politics. People said "we don't want you to spend days in the White House debating the outlawing of same-sex marriage when you should be talking about the health crisis, jobs, education, and the large numbers of our young people coming home from Iraq in body bags".
Here in Australia, PM John Howard has tried the same tactic. The Liberal-National coalition introduced a bill into the federal parliament to outlaw same-sex marriage. Shamefully Labor supported it. The second part of this legislation, will outlaw overseas adoption rights for same-sex couples. These laws make same-sex couples second-class citizens.
We know that Howard's aim, imitating Bush, is to whip up a campaign of social conservatism and win the votes of the Christian right concentrated in some marginal seats. Vocal ultra-conservative Christians in the Liberal party are targeting same-sex couples, along with single mothers and abortion rights. It is also likely that it is a well-timed attempt at distraction from the situation in Iraq.
By passing these laws against same-sex couples' rights, the Coalition and Labor parties are doing more than limiting our legal options — they are reinforcing homophobic attitudes and giving confidence to the perpetrators of hate crimes against lesbians and gay men.
These politicians' decision will exact a terrible price. Statistics show that same-sex-attracted youth already make up larger proportions of youth suicide, youth who self harm, homeless youth and young school leavers. And a study done by the NSW attorney general's office last year showed that young gay men and lesbians are most at risk of homophobic violence, with 85% saying that they had experienced homophobic violence in the past year.
We need to build a movement to repeal these laws. A poll commissioned by SBS World News has found the Australian public is split on the issue of gay marriage, with 38% in favour and 44% against. This tells us that already a large number of people in this country don't support this attack. Our challenge is to mobilise these people to win others to the side of justice.
The last time Howard used wedge politics, against asylum seekers, public opinion was much more in his favour. But a sustained campaign has since won over a majority to the side of asylum seekers. An August 20 poll found that just 35% of people agree with the Howard government's handling of the Tampa incident, compared 56% when it happened in 2001.
Those who oppose the attacks on the rights of same-sex couples should support and join parties that stand uncompromisingly against these attacks. The Socialist Alliance believes we need a movement to do more than tackle these reactionary laws. We need a movement to demand that the government increase funding of same-sex education and AIDS prevention and treatment programs, and education programs in schools and support services instead of spending $46 million a day on the war machine. Campaigning against Howard's same-sex laws will help defeat him in the election and build the basis for taking up these demands under a Labor government.
We want the Howard government out. But when the ALP joins the Coalition in opposing same-sex couple's rights — and on other conservative agendas — then we are reminded that we have to build a real political alternative. We all need to become that political alternative.
Kylie Moon
[Kylie Moon is the lead Socialist Alliance Senate candidate for NSW and one of the founders of Community Action Against Homophobia.]
From Green Left Weekly, September 8, 2004.
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