NSW equal marriage debate offends the homophobes

Karl Hand
Gadigal Country/Sydney
June 1, 2012
Issue 
925
Analysis
Sydney rally for marriage equality, May 12. Photo: Peter Boyle

The rhetoric of homophobia is changing in our society. Those on the conservative side of the debate no longer make any mention of the Bible, morality or mental health. Instead, they claim they are motivated by love to oppress gay people.

Recently, I sat in the NSW legislative council (in which Reverend Fred Nile, MLC, is the honorary chaplain of the house) and watched the debate on marriage equality.

The motion by Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann was a symbolic gesture, really. It wouldn’t change any laws, but it did call upon the federal parliament to grant marriage equality. The success of the motion has meant that every parliament in Australia has supported marriage equality, except of course in Canberra’s federal parliament, where such laws are made.

What fascinated me more than anything was a complete lack of any mention by the conservatives of homosexuality being morally wrong, sinful or pathological. Several conservative MLCs expressed their outrage that the mover of the motion used the word “homophobia”. It is deeply hurtful to be called homophobic, they said:

• We are “so hurt that you would suggest we are homophobic”. The Macquarie Dictionary defines homophobia as fear and hate. I don’t fear or hate anyone.
• I had so many “gay friends around my Christmas table” this year. I have such respect for them that I could not vote against this motion unless I truly believed that they are completely equal already, without marriage rights.
• I simply believe with all my heart that “marriage is about procreation”, and gay people don’t have the “correct biological makeup” to do that.
• I have gone on such an “amazing personal journey” to the point where I now love and respect homosexual persons. I have even disagreed with my own priest on this issue. But I simply can’t get over “the Macquarie Dictionary definition of marriage”. It says “boys and girls only”. In the DICTIONARY.

I too have a lot of friends on the other side of the argument, and I could clothe my argument here in the language of love. But I think it is more respectful to speak from your true motives.

I know your moral journey is an authentic and genuine one, but I do not want it to play out in the world of my rights.

So I want to change the definition, not of marriage, but of homophobia. I want to change it to: “any kind of love, respect, genuineness, compassion or personal growth that makes people want to take away the rights of homosexual people.”

[Rev. Karl Hand is pastor of CRAVE Metropolitan Community Church and a member of Sydney’s Community Action Against Homophobia.]


LGBTIQ
Australia

Comments

Anonymous replied on

I quote the following research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, La Trobe University, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Australian Institute of Criminology and the National LGBT Health Alliance, to name a few. In comparison to the Australian population as a whole, the Homosexual and Lesbian community is: • Twice as likely to suffer from significant alcohol abuse, • Twice as likely to abuse prescription drugs, • Twice as likely to take Crystal Meth, • Three times more likely to smoke Cannabis, • Three times more likely to take Speed, • Three times more likely to abuse Steroids, • Three and a half times more likely to take Ecstasy, • Nine times more likely to inject drugs like heroin, and • Twelve times more likely to take GBH Lesbian couples are twice as likely to be a habitual smoker and twice as likely to suffer poor health. They are 80% more likely to suffer a "profound / severe long term health condition" and 30% more likely to be obese, leading to a much higher risk of hypertension, stroke and chronic congestive heart failure. The Homosexual and Lesbian community as a whole is: • Twice as likely to have no contact with family, (three times for Lesbians), • Twice as likely to suffer high to very high levels of psychological distress, • Twice as likely to suffer an Anxiety disorder, • Two to four times more likely to suffer some form of domestic abuse. With 78% of victims suffering emotional abuse, 40% suffering physical abuse and 40% suffering sexual abuse. Lesbians are significantly more likely to have their children directly involved or used in abuse cases. • Five times more likely to be suffering from a (STI) Sexually Transmitted Infection, • Eight times more likely to be currently suffering a depressive disorder. In one report, 86% of respondents stated that their depression was so bad they had problems keeping employment. Further, those in the community are: • Three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, • Five times more likely to have made suicidal plans, and • Five times more likely to have attempted suicide This is the unfortunate reality facing the Homosexual and Lesbian community. It is a tragedy ... it is a tragedy that so many suffer in silence; and it begs the question as to the motives of the so-called left that believe that access to an ancient heterosexual institution will provide a panacea.

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