Thread: Same sex marriage

Originally Posted by tomcat

...sounds reasonable...until one realizes that it is straights giving their assent for gays to enjoy equal marital status...

That is one perspective.

Another perspective is that we are being asked to redefine an essentially heterosexual cultural tradition to try and make gays feel better about being gay.

One could argue about whether gays should have been allowed to vote if you look at it that way.

Originally Posted by tomcat

a rear guard action

You just love your double entendres, don't you.

...555...I was waiting to see who would take the bait...

Australia Awaits Result as Gay Marriage Survey Ends

SYDNEY — Australia’s same-sex marriage postal survey has closed and the official result is expected next week (Wednesday, November 15). Voters were asked if the Marriage Act should be changed to allow same-sex couples to wed. Polls are suggesting a win for the 'yes' campaign, although the result is not legally binding on parliament.


Sixteen million Australians were eligible to vote in Australia’s same sex marriage postal survey. Officials say almost 80 percent of the potential voters responded and opinion polls are predicting a win for the ‘yes’ campaign.


The debate has, at times, been fractious and divisive. There have been accusations of bullying and bigotry on both sides of the argument. 'Yes' campaigners say they have been called ‘perverts’, while a church backing the 'No' campaign has been sprayed with obscene graffiti.


The government pleaded for the debate to be civil and respectful, and the Senate, the Australian parliament’s upper chamber, went a step further. It passed special legislation that banned intimidation, threats and vilification during the vote.


Magda Szubanski, an Australian actor and marriage equality advocate, says she has been subjected to vile homophobia.”


“I can match you and then some for the abuse that I’ve received, and many people in the 'Yes' campaign, for years," said Szubanski. "I mean, 'Get AIDS and die, pervert.' 'You're a pedophile.' It has been very nasty on the extremes and generally we don’t give air to that, but I do feel I have to correct this lop-sided perception that the 'Yes' are bullies. I really think that’s not fair.”


The ‘yes’ campaign hopes the postal vote will help to make Australia fairer and more inclusive.


The anti-reform Coalition for Marriage says that should same-sex couples be allowed to tie the knot there would be serious consequences for children. It insists that students would be exposed to ‘radical’ views on homosexuality in schools.


The postal survey result will be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which organized the ballot. The result is not legally binding, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is a supporter of reform, has promised to introduce same-sex marriage legislation by the end of the year if Australians vote ‘yes.’

https://www.voanews.com/a/australia-...s/4110782.html

Originally Posted by misskit

It insists that students would be exposed to ‘radical’ views on homosexuality in schools.

Hardly "radical" if a majority have these views. Not even "radical" if only 25% hold these views.
It might be deemed radical if 1% held these views.

Originally Posted by tomcat

...555...I was waiting to see who would take the bait...

Well at the moment, the jesus wheezers only hope is a come from behind victory.

(fnar fnar).

Celebrations start November 15th 2017 - 10:01am (as David mentioned above 7:01 Thai time) and I might be away to help announce it.

The Australian Statistician will release the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey results at a media conference at 10am on 15 November 2017: https://marriagesurvey.abs.gov.au/news-alerts

The official statistics will include a count of responses (Yes, No and Response Not Clear) by Federal Electoral Division (FED), State/Territory and National. This will also include a count of eligible Australians who have not participated.

Templates for the Participation and Response results are now available. These templates show the standard table layout for the statistical information that will be available as part of the survey results: https://marriagesurvey.abs.gov.au/results

_________

A street party in Sydney’s gay heartland of Oxford Street to celebrate the likely Yes result of the same-sex marriage survey will go ahead on Wednesday night despite a court standoff by organisers and police.

Thousands of same-sex marriage supporters are expected to converge on the streets of Sydney and Melbourne for speeches and dancing if the survey result — to be released at 10am on Wednesday — shows the majority of people voted for a change to marriage law as polling indicates.

Large screens in public spaces around the country, including Victoria’s State Library, Brisbane’s Queens Gardens, and Prince Alfred Park in Sydney’s Surry Hills, will broadcast the result live.: Nocookies | The Australian

___________

Same-sex marriage survey: The man who will tell us who won

He's set to be the Juan Antonio Samaranch of the same-sex marriage postal survey. But chances are, you've never heard of David Kalisch.

Come Wednesday at 10am, all eyes will be on the economist who has made his career in the public service. As the head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Kalisch has the job of announcing the highly anticipated results of the same-sex marriage postal survey.

He promises not to make people wait ages for the punchline, Rob Oakeshott-style.

"We are working on a relatively short and succinct speech," he says.

At this stage, Kalisch does not know what he will be announcing to Australia. While the ABS began processing responses in September, it will not finalise the results until early next week. Even then, only a handful of officials working on the data will know which side has won before Wednesday morning.

Shortly before the public announcement, Kalisch will brief Finance Minister Mathias Cormann. Representatives of the "yes" and "no" camps will also get a small head start on the results, but will be in a lock up (similar to the one on budget day) and not be able to comment publicly until after the ABS press conference.: Same-sex marriage survey: The man who will tell us who won

___________

Same-sex marriage: How the results will be announced and what happens next

Yada, yada (celebrations/a waste of 122 million/should have been achieved at government level/equal rights),….

THURSDAY (the 16^th of November)

A Yes will see pro-same-sex marriage advocates desert their campaign bases in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and elsewhere to head en masse to Canberra to push for a law change.

It’s possible that on Thursday, two competing same-sex marriage bills could be tabled in the Senate.

Talking to news.com.au last month, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was hopeful marriage equality would be legal “by Christmas”.

Whether that happens will depend on what shape a new law will take. The crucial sticking point is who should be exempt from officiating or providing services for same-sex weddings.

Labor, the Greens and many in the Coalition are backing a bill from Liberal Senator Dean Smith that will exempt religious ministers and celebrants as well as religious organisations from being involved in weddings.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27

This is the first day either bill could be tabled in the House of Representatives. A same-sex marriage bill has to pass both the Reps and the Senate before it can be made law by the Governor-General.

How politicians choose to vote is, ultimately, up to them. Every Green is in favour as are most Labor MPs but the Coalition is far more divided.

An ABC analysis found at least six MPs, including Kevin Andrews and Bob Katter, will vote No even if Australia votes Yes. A further 36 did not reveal their vote while around 30 said their vote would depend on factors including religious exemptions and how their electorate voted.

Nevertheless, if the public voted Yes, around 70 per cent of both houses should follow suit.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7

The final day either the Reps or Senate sits in 2017. If a same-sex marriage bill isn’t approved by then, despite Mr Turnbull’s wishes, it won’t be happening by Christmas. That is unless parliament chooses to continue sitting until a deal is nutted out.

JANUARY 2018

If same-sex marriage is legalised before Christmas, this is the very earliest marriages are likely to happen given the standard 30-day waiting period. However, it’s very possible that, even with swift passage of the bill, the first wedding ceremonies could be some months away with the Government likely to allow several months for celebrants and others to get acquainted with the new law: Same-sex marriage result: What time is announcement? How will Australians find out

This morning we will know one way or another if Australia moves into the 21st centaury.
The world will not end at 10 this morning despite what the god botherers would have you belive.
I voted yes lets all move on.

Australia's same-sex marriage postal survey: 61.6% yes, 38.4% no: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...y-results-live

7,817,247 people voted yes - 4,873,987 voted no

...wonderful news!...

^ By almost 2 to 1. Almost. But a comfortable pass nonetheless.
ACT had a good turnout with practically 3 to 1 majority.

The NT vote is mildly surprising, higher 'Yes' count than for NSW.

Anyways it was always a foregone conclusion. Congrats to the Aussie govt. on wasting millions of dollars.

To promote sodomy and rug munchers

...and suppress irrational hatred and childish name-calling while including all under the umbrella of legal rights...yes, I see how such a notion would offend the parochial, fear-driven bridge-and-cave folks...

Don't worry about xanax.

He is - ironically enough - only posting that to try to get attention from another man.

Congratulations to the those who supported the Yes campaign.

What is pleasing is that the vote was a strong result and that removes any unpleasantness that might have ensued
if the vote was much closer.

Well done.

... and the bullshite has started already.




SSM: How to talk about the same-sex marriage result with your kids

By Grace Kirby and Alina Morawska, University of Queensland


Many parents might now be experiencing a dilemma as to whether they need to discuss this result with their children.

Although the public vote has ended, the conversation will no doubt continue.

Now more than ever, it is important to talk about the issues with your children and provide honest information.

In the long term, it will be the youngest members of our society who will be most affected by the outcomes of this voting process.

Children will continue to receive messages from other sources. They may overhear adult conversations, other children may
talk about it, and they are unlikely to have missed the topic in the media.

While it's important to be honest with your child, try not to be pessimistic or worry them about the consequences of the result or what happens next.
Here are some things that can help make these conversations easier.

Read all the BS here



My reaction as an Parent, if one of my kids ask, my simple response is that marriage is between two people, end of story.

Isn't this what the struggle was all along? Equality?

I honestly think the result is a vindication for No-voters. The presumption that voting No was the preserve of a small minority of hateful homophobes has been proved wrong. A huge proportion of regular Australians do not agree with the politically correct positioning of the argument.

61.6% Yes in progressive Australia is less than traditional Ireland managed nearly 3 years ago. The high tide mark of support for radical gay politics is behind us.

If the gay vote is subtracted then almost half of non-gay Australians do not favour redefining marriage.

But in the spirit of good grace I just wanna wish congratulations to the pooves anyway!

It was a good clean debate.

Everybody got to put forward their point of view.

We all had fun and the long-suffering shifters are now free to get married so happy honeymoon fellas - you earned it!

History - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Wrong Side of It (Looper's current and future address).

Originally Posted by Looper

If the gay vote is subtracted then ....

Can you hear yourself??? Why would you subtract other CITIZEN'S votes to get a bellweather?
I suppose that if it was about racial equality somewhere, we must subtract the downtrodden race's votes to get the "real" feeling for the issue. The downtrodden minority's opinion doesn't count on their own future and equality. Only non blacks should vote on whether blacks should get the vote. Only non-gays should vote on what affects them.
Can you see the sad sad bigoted irony in what you're saying?

I thought you were smarter.

Originally Posted by Looper

then almost half of non-gay Australians do not favour redefining marriage.

Aside from the momentously fallacious argument about if gays did not vote, there is STILL a majority of Australians who are not bigots.
Even without gay people making up numbers, you're still a minority, Looper.

And I'm not sure about your maths. What percent of voters were gay? What percent of the population is gay?
Do your maths again.