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London: Gay couple threatened with death in violent late night homophobic assault
141
Government considers watered down same-sex marriage bill to minimise Tory rebellion
133
Tory MP Gerald Howarth: 'There are plenty in the aggressive homosexual community who want more than just same-sex marriage'
94
France: Far right activist commits suicide in Notre Dame following legalisation of equal marriage
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Philip Hammond: 'No great demand for gay marriage and it's upsetting vast numbers of people'
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Government to consider abolishing civil partnerships or opening up to straight couples
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Norman Tebbit: David Cameron has 'f**** things up' with his equal marriage bill
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Tory MP Sir Gerald Howarth defends 'aggressive homosexual community' equal marriage slur
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David Cameron: Gay teenagers will stand that bit taller following equal marriage vote
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Lib Dem Deputy Leader Simon Hughes: 'Marriage should be between one man and one woman'
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Robert in S. Kensington 710
GulliverUK 353
Jock S. Trap 344
Iris 324
Mark Y 324
Rehan 300
Tim 296
That There Other David 295
Wingby 277
D.McCabe 273
A defeatist attitude already! Not a good start Senator Wong you are feeding to those who are already against it.
You need to remain strong for this fight.
Even if it fails, expect jubilation from our own bigoted religious nutters who will use it to score points on October 8 when Anne Widdecombe and Lord Carey deliver their hateful speeches.
I was thinking the same thing.
Australia used to be such a can-do sort of place.
But typical of conservatives that the are only in favour of a free vote when the party line is against them.
Would someone explain why there is such a low support for equality in the australian parliament when at least 60% of australians support equality ??? I can not think of such an situation somewhere else
Well the USA is one.
The usa is very different from australia for many reasons.In usa support for equality is only 51 % and things are done state based and not at the national level
“All politics is local”. Even when voting at national level, politicians are accountable to their local electorates. And many local electorates at bigoted homophobes.
Wong’s certainly moving in the right direction, but as someone who’s previously come out against same-sex marriage I wonder if her ‘support’ will only go as far as she thinks she can push it in front of the boss (Gillard)?
Also, to blame Abbott she’s also deflecting heat away from her party in the event the vote goes against SSM.
Kinda slimy.
Look, she is blaming abbot because the reality is that this is a cross party issue. On a free vote there would be a majority in both houses. Abbot has insisted on a three line whip against the bill in full defiance of Australian parliamentary tradition. Why? because Abbot, like his Vatican controllers, is the very enemy of gay rights Wong is totally in the right to blame him
The reality, as tony abbot knows, is that very soon labour will lose to the coalition and the chance for gay marriage recognition will be lost for a generation or more in Australia. Queensland shows is the way the coalition government has been undoing progay legislation as a top priority on coming to power. Abbots heart is with the catholic agenda so his premiership will follow the vaticans agenda, a depressing day to be a gay Australian.
She have ‘courage’ to say this just now?! The bill has little chances at the beginning of discussions in 2010 and absolutely no chances since last December, when the Labor conference has approve just ‘free’ gay marriage vote, without party discipline.The last nine months for all us was playing magnificent piece of theater ‘marriage equality will come to Australia very soon’ – with ridiculous hope, that Mr. Abbot, who once has dreams to became a Catholic priest, will participate in this too! Well, surprise,surprise, he has not. And now we have new ‘Liberal’ governments in two most indeed liberal Australian states, Victoria and New South Wales, and ultraconservative government in Queensland too (how good, that LGBT community there was clever enough not to believe in pink dreams from South and push civil union bill!). What rest? Little hope, that Labor comes back to power in Victoria 2014 and in New South Wales – 2015; a little more bigger hope, that Tasmania, South Australia, maybe
ACT and West Australia too will approve same-sex marriage law at the state level and Supreme Court will not vetoed this. After big victory of ‘Liberal’ party next year it will be the very best in this very uneasy situation, I think. The American gay community has go this way ‘from state to state’, so must the Australian too. No more rose illusions, please… (and no more ‘acceptance of defeating’ speeches fife minutes until, and not after the defeating itself too – show on the American politics again, dear Mrs. Wong,- for example, on Mr. Romney: he know very good, that he will loose, but he will acting as winner until the bloody last moment in the sad for him November …)
I think the equality vote is not far away here in Australia. Towing the party line is not democratic in my view and it is time western democracies started to practice what they preach to other countries. Here we have the religious nutters on both sides coming out with bizarre and out-rageous notions on what equality will mean. A conservative nutter this morning reckons we will be doing it with animals if passed. But in my view having these views come out from our elected representatives is welcome. At least we will know who the bigots are when the next elections are held.
The one hope is that Taz and WA succeed in getting their own bills through and force the issue.
If the government will not support equal marriage for gays, then gays should pay less tax. Otherwise, you do not have a democracy; you have a de facto caste system. Hey you homophobes down under: stop using the Christian faith as a cover for your prejudice . I am a Christian, and I am not impressed with you. :
Has been voted down just a short time ago.