 CAAH SYDNEY MEDIA RELEASE [FOR IMMEDIATE RELREASE] 8th February 2007 |
CAAH SYDNEY MEDIA RELEASE [FOR IMMEDIATE RELREASE] 8th February 2007 |
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL TO PROTEST HOWARD'S ATTACKS ON SAME-SEX ADOPTION AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIPSTomorrow, at 6:00 PM on Friday 9 February, activists from Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) along with other social and political organisations supporting the QLGBTI community will hold a candlelight vigil at Taylor Square with the aim of highlighting the Federal Government’s recent bigoted and discriminatory attacks on Same-Sex Adoption and Civil Partnerships.In a move that has perhaps not surprised many; the Attorney General Phillip Ruddock has warned the ACT that it will incur the wrath of the Federal Government’s legislative powers if it attempts to pass its new Civil Partnerships Bill. This was introduced six months after the Federal Government cancelled the territory’s Civil Unions Act on the as yet unfounded basis that it would undermine the institution of marriage. Ruddock has said that "It remains the Government's opinion that the Civil Partnerships Bill would still in its amended form be likely to undermine the institution of marriage." CAAH Co-Convenor Simon Biber stated to Mr Ruddock that “far from preventing the undermining of the institution of marriage, the Federal Government’s actions would instead ironically undermine the progress of the institution of democracy in Australia that should foster inclusion and diversity rather than adopt a process of marginalisation”. Biber further criticises the Federal Government’s lack of willingness in engaging in dialogue with the ACT over this matter. “Their inability to engage in simple dialogue further reinforces CAAH’s view on the ambiguous and humorously weak arguments that the Federal Government tries to shield itself behind. This also blatantly masks the inherently homophobic stance of the current government and CAAH will continue to fight to bring about lasting change”. On February 3, the Howard government launched an attack on same-sex couples by threatening to stop recognizing adoptions of foreign children by same-sex couples. A report was printed in Melbourne’s The Age after the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet produced a list of bills proposed for introduction in Parliament’s autumn session. As the report outlined, changes are proposed within the Family Law (Same Sex Adoption) Bill to “amend the Family Law Act 1975 to indicate that adoptions by same-sex couples of children from overseas under either bilateral or multilateral arrangements will not be recognised in Australia.” Despite Attorney-General Ruddock’s protestations in a letter to The Age, it is clear that the government wants to curtail same-sex couples’ rights to adopt. The proposed changes have been described thus: as soon as a couple walks through Australian customs, the parents will cease to have any legal rights or responsibilities to their child. Henceforth, in such a situation it would seem that the child would become an unlawful non-citizen and be subject to mandatory detention. Rachel Evans, who is a member of CAAH and until recently held the position of Co-Convenor said: “Can this government sink any lower? It is not enough that Howard’s was the first government world-wide to introduce the same-sex marriage ban in 2004. It’s not enough that Howard banned civil unions in the ACT in June 2006. They have to attack our rights further by stomping out a partnership scheme.” “The Liberals are on a war footing of bigotry in the lead up to the Federal elections. They are wooing the ‘Christian’ right at the expense of LGBTI rights and trying to distract working people from unpopular war policies, WorkChoices, locking up of Hicks and climate change.” Shelly Dahl, currently Secretary of CAAH and one of the Queer Officers at the University of Western Sydney (UWS), echoed the comments above and added that: “Ruddock is using an emphasis on ‘family’ to take away rights from people, regardless of sexuality, to raise children. He not only denies same-sex couples the chance to get married but also their right to adopt children. This is a violation of Anti-Discrimination law and violates the UN charter, which says that all humans have the right to be free from discrimination. All queers and all people should be outraged as this is an attack on people’s right to choose; an attack on everyone’s civil liberties – UWS Queer Collective will not quit on this campaign.” Dahl has also analysed these laws from a perspective claiming that religion has been an influential factor: “This is yet another attempt to use Christianity as a moral basis to excuse homophobia in this country.”
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