CIVIL UNION ACTION (CUA) MEDIA RELEASE 19th June 2006 |
NATIONAL RALLIES TO OPPOSE ACT CIVIL UNIONS OVERRIDE "A WARNING"Federal Government homophobia sparks mass angerThe newly-formed Civil Union Action (CUA) group in Melbourne has warned the Federal Government not to ignore the mass anger at their decision to quash landmark same-sex Civil Unions laws in the Australian Capital Territory last week, ahead of further protests planned today in Sydney and Canberra. The Senate last Thursday upheld the Governor-General's invalidation of the partnership scheme on Tuesday last week. The motion to disallow the Civil Unions ban failed 30 votes to 32. The vote also saw the first Liberal MP (ACT Senator Gary Humphries) to cross the floor and vote against their party in the entire 10 years of the Howard Government. CUA held a rally of approximately 250 people outside Liberal Party Melbourne Headquarters last Friday night, 16 June. Despite cold weather and dark skies, many people turned out to send a strong message of opposition toward the Federal Government's actions in overriding the ACT laws. "The ban on Civil Unions in the ACT has nothing to do with legal conflicts, and everything to do with homophobia," CUA spokesperson, John Kloprogge, told the rally. CUA expects large numbers of gay and lesbian people, and their supporters, to attend today's rallies in Sydney and Canberra. "Civil Unions, quite distinct from marriage, are a moderate option. They allow loving same-sex couples to have their relationships recognised and protected by law," Mr Kloprogge said. "It would be remiss of the Federal Government to overlook the vast support such relationship recognition has in the broader Australian populace," Mr Kloprogge added, referring to recent research? showing favourable attitudes towards same-sex unions.
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