G'day JustinO,
 
In Oz, the Senate has joined the House of Representatives in voting down legislation aimed at allowing same-sex couples to marry. On Wednesday, just 42 MPs in the Lower House supported a private members bill put forward by Labor backbencher Stephen Jones while 98 MPs voted against. I keep hearing opponents of marriage equality saying that marriage is between a man and a woman exclusively. And why is that, do you think? Mainly because bigots refuse to change it! This is a democracy with a secular government. It's not a theocracy. And yet religious views seem to dominate the marriage equality agenda. If churches wish to discriminate, that's their business. But it's not the government's business to discriminate. The government's business is to adhere to the wishes of the majority of its constituents. Only 30% of Australians are opposed to marriage equality. 50% approve and the rest couldn't give a damn.
 
Yesterday, the NSW state government made a formal apology to all women who had their babies forcibly removed for adoption back in 50s, 60s and 70s. It also apologized to the adoptees. The reason those women were deprived of their basic human right to keep their babies was because, shock, horror, they became pregnant out of wedlock. They were considered to be unfit mothers, and their babies were stolen. It was unacceptable that babies should be born out of wedlock. Decades on, the government is now apologizing for the "shameful" conduct of previous governments. And yet they can't see the same thing happening in another decade or two when a future government has to apologize for disallowing same-sex couples to marry. IT'S THE SAME THING. DISCRIMINATION. But the dickheads can't see it.
 
And now we have the head of The Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace, declaring that homosexuality is unhealthier than smoking. Can you believe it? He's supposed to be an intelligent man! And last night on telly he said that homosexuality is a sin. He's insulting not only all Australian gays and lesbians but also their parents, siblings, lovers and friends. He was sitting at his boardroom table with a bunch of his cohorts leading them in prayer to God. Is it the same God that gays pray to? The same God that non-bigoted people pray to? Apparently not. The God that Jim Wallace prays to agrees with Jim's views. How convienient to have such an obliging God.
 
Gary
 

Pathetic, is it not?

A few years back I read this bit of wisdom on the tab of a Salada Tea Bag. . . . 

-  Why does history repeat itself?

-  Because no one listens the first time!

    JustinO