Pip Hinman, Sydney
"It seems that the Howard government is happy to recognise same-sex partnerships to deny us our civil rights, but when it comes to extending rights, they exclude us", Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) spokesperson Rachel Evans said on October 20.
Evans was referring to clauses in Schedule 4 of the Draft Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 defining which family members could be contacted by someone in preventative detention include same-sex partners in the definition of family member.
"The recent 'recognition' of same-sex partnerships by the draft anti-terrorism bill amounts to further hypocrisy from our federal leaders. Should we assume the government agrees with the statement arising from the 2004 National Marriage Forum that 'gays are the moral terrorists of the 21st century?'", she asked.
NUS national queer spokesperson Claire English told Green Left Weekly that, "This attempt to intimidate queer activists will not work. We will continue to lead campaigns against war, for refugee rights and for queer liberation".
According to Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, "The government is making a mockery of the importance of recognising same sex relationships by placing this clause in terrorism legislation, but not in marriage, adoption or tax law where recognising same-sex relationships would require the government to provide entitlements.
"If someone is detained for 14 days under the proposed terrorism legislation, the government is ensuring that they can ring their same-sex partner to tell them they are detained, but not why or where they are.
"The government is happy to legislate away the positive rights of same-sex couples, but recognise them when locking up a gay or lesbian." This is a further indication of the unbalanced and dangerous thrust of the government's terrorism policy, Nettle concluded.
From Green Left Weekly, October 26, 2005.
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