Marriage Equality Essay

Marriage Equality
Inquiry Questions
• What is Marriage Equality?
• Where in Australia has a marriage equality bill ever been passed and what were the effects?
• What are the consequences and results of same-sex marriage in other countries around the world?

Question 1: What is Marriage Equality?
The Australian Constitution states that Marriage Equality is the recognition, performance and/or acceptance of a same-sex marriage.
Question 2: Where in Australia has a marriage equality bill ever been passed and what were the effects?
The Marriage Equality Act has only been legalised in the ACT in 2013 but was not effective for long as shortly after it was operated it was struck down by the High Court of Australia. Being presented in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly on the 19 September 2013, it was then passed 33 days later. It came into operation on 7 November 2013, although it did not permit same-sex marriage ceremonies to occur until 7 December. Alan Wright and Joel Player were the first same-sex couple to be married on Australian soil in Canberra. The Act was effective for five days before the High Court of Australia had struck it down. The newly-wed couples were no longer recognized by the Australian Government as married. The Act had lost its effect leaving approximately 20 same-sex couples un-married.
Question 3: What are the consequences or results of a same-sex relationship in other countries around the world?
Around the world there are many countries that find homosexuality socially un-acceptable. Over the world in more than 70 countries, such as Russia, you can be imprisoned and fined up to $30,000 for “gay propaganda” such as counselling gay teens to kissing in public. Homosexuality can be punishable by death in various countries including Mauritania, Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia. American student, Matthew Shepard, was beaten to death by men for being gay. Studying at the University of Wyoming, on October the 7th, 1998, Matthew was abducted and driven east of Laramie, Wyoming. There he was tied to a fence and beaten by the butt of a pistol, causing severe head injuries. Shepard was then left tied up to die. Initially thought to be a scarecrow, a bicyclist rode by 18 hours later finding the 22 year old nearly dead. The hate crime attracted the media’s attention and Matt's story was soon spread around the world. It touched many souls including NBA player, Jason Collins. Openly gay, Collins wore the number "98" on his jersey during the 2012-2013 season with the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards, recognising Shepard's year of death. Though the two attackers had committed a hate crime, they were not charged for it because there was no such Criminal statute provided for such a charge in Wyoming at the time. Matthew's death spared requests to the legislation for such an act. Finally in October 2009, the Mattew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, was passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Barack Obama turning the legislation into law.

Gay Rights (Against)
• It’s not natural. Because only men and women can have babies which means that only men and women can get married otherwise they can’t properly support a family.
• Makes children gay. Because if you are raised by a gay family you will be gay because they will influence you to be gay and if you’re not, they will beat you up because you’re not growing up to be like them.
• Christianity. God says it’s wrong. He says that “if there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. There bloodguiltness is upon them.”
• Bestiality, incestuous and polygamy. If you can marry another man or woman why can’t you marry an animal, it’s the same thing and if you can marry an animal what’s stopping people from marrying several people or even your

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