ࡱ> RTS` $bjbjss *.~ ~ ~ ~ 3 w3y3y3y3y3y3y3$5hJ8*3 3 3 .  w3 w3 n1#3 ln~  ^2 [33033 t9e @t9@#3t9#38 > ,  $8 33  3 Z $Z   Email: samesex@humanrights.gov.au Date: May 23 2006 Name: Sacha Petersen and Anna Russell Submission to the Same Sex=Same Entitlements Inquiry. Dear HREOC, Thank you for the opportunity to make a public submission to the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. We are a Lesbian couple who has been in a committed relationship for three years. We are the proud mothers of a 7 month old healthy and very happy little girl. Sacha is a 26-year-old registered nurse who has been employed for six years at the Royal 鱨վs Hospital. Anna is 27 years old and works within the hospitality industry and has done so most of her working life. We believe that to achieve full legal equality all Federal legislation should have terms such as spouse, partner dependent, family and couple redefined to include same sex partners and, where relevant, their children. We believe that Commonwealth legal recognition of same sex relationships including families parented by same sex partners would have a positive impact on our relationships, family life, productivity at work and financial security, among other areas of my life. The following is our story, how we will tell it to our daughter as to why we cant enjoy equal rights as a family. OUR STORY. One day two girls fell in love and decided to have babies. They spent along time planning babies and enough money to buy a whole house full of toys. They had to travel for hours and hours to a place called Albury to make baby because it was illegal to get doctors to help the two girls make babies in the place where they lived, Melbourne. The Two girls needed sperm to make baby. If they were allowed to get sperm in Melbourne then one day Baby would be able to find out who that sperm came from. Instead, Albury had no rules about sperm, so the two girls are sad that baby may never know who her donor is. This made Mum and Muma very sad, what if Baby grew up angry and sad because she couldnt find this out? Medicare, who helps people pay for doctors, does not see the two girls as a couple, they think only a girl and a boy can be a couple. So even though they spent a lot of money making Baby, they never got help from Medicare because the safety net was never reached. If Mum was a boy, Medicare would have helped pay for the doctors, but she isnt so Muma and Mum did it by themselves. After three months of seeing doctors and driving lots Muma got pregnant, they felt like the luckiest girls in the world. They had many hospital and doctors visits. They had to make sure with their doctors that Mum would be included in all procedures. Unlike the boys and girls who fall in love and make babies doctors and hospitals might not think Mum should always be with Muma. Mum had to ask to be included in everything just because she is not a boy. Then one amazing day Baby was born, they thought she was the most beautiful baby in the world. Mum was very sad because she could only have a few weeks off work, she took all her holidays at once and even though she had a new baby she could only have two days extra leave for having a baby, because she wasnt a boy. Because they had a new baby they had to get a birth certificate. A birth certificate is a very special piece of paper that says where a person comes from, who that persons family is. Even though Mum and Muma had wanted baby forever, had planned the baby together, made the baby together, named the baby together Mum wasnt allowed to write her name on the birth certificate next to Mumas. They filled out the paperwork for the birth certificate but there was no spot for Mum. Mum and Muma were sad again. Mum and Muma had to make sure Mum could have a place on the special paper. Mum and Muma had to wait in long cues and argue with people in suits and make them make phone calls just so as they could be a family on this special piece of paper. When they got the special bit of paper Mums name wasnt listed next to mother it was down the bottom next to informant. We dont know what informant means but we are glad that Mums name gets to be on the special paper. Now that they had a birth certificate they went off to the Medicare office. Maybe Medicare would be nice this time, they thought. But no, the people in suits said the same thing as the birth certificate place. Mum, Muma and Baby were not a family, you need to have a Mum and a Dad to be a family, to all be on the same green card. So they got a green card with Muma and Baby on it and Mum kept her card by herself and felt sad that the people in suits could not see how much they loved each other and they just wanted everybody to see how they were a family. Mum was sad that if baby got sick she could not take her to the doctor alone. Mum is a great Mum and knows how to tell when Baby is sick, but the people in suits wont let Mum do what she needs to do to look after her baby. So with all the people in suits saying that Mum, Muma and Baby are not a real family they had to do something about it. What if Muma was at work and Mum needed to pick Baby up from childcare and they said she couldnt because the people in suits said they werent a family? So Mum and Muma knew there were people called lawyers who sometimes can make special papers to make people in suits see that they really are a family even though they cant go on the green card together and Mum doesnt have a proper place on the birth certificate. Even though they knew they were a family, Babys Grandparents called them a family. They got Christmas cards addressed to Mum Muma and Baby. When they had family photos the photos included Mum, Muma and Baby. The message on the answering machine said they were a family. When they went to the zoo they bought a family ticket. It seemed everybody knew they were a family except for the people in suits who make important decisions. So they paid a nice lawyer lots and lots of money to make papers to say they are a family, enough money for a whole room full of toys. Even with these special papers the people in suits can still say the two girls and their baby arent a family. The two girls love each other very much but lots of people who love each other have fights. If they fight and decide to live in separate houses the people in suits might say Mum cant see Baby any more. If Mum was a boy they wouldnt say that. If the two girls live separately Muma wont be able to ask Mum for money to help look after baby. If Mum was a boy she would HAVE to give Muma money. If something horrible happens to Mum then Baby, unlike her cousins who have a Mum and a Dad, might not get any of Mums stuff or money. It seems the people in suits make Mum, Muma and Baby very sad all because Mum isnt a boy. It seems very silly that a family must have a Mum and a Dad. Mum, Muma and Baby know that families come in many types. They know that love makes a family not just having a girl and a boy. Mum, Muma and Baby are tired of being sad and doing things to make things right just because the people in suits cant include their wonderful family. Please consider the impact discriminatory laws have on everyday life of us, and our families. Yours Sincerely, Sacha Petersen and Anna Russell #5V w $hmCJ OJQJmH sH hmCJ OJQJmH sH hCJ OJQJhmhmCJ OJQJ#56\]h i H I T -.7$8$H$ 7$8$H$^h^h$ ""j$k$$$$$$h^h(. A!"#$% 8@8 Normal_HmH sH tH H@H Heading 1$h@&^h CJ OJQJDA@D Default Paragraph FontViV  Table Normal :V 44 la (k(No List 0U@0 Hyperlink>*B*B@ Body Text=1$H$7$8$ ,0` P@$%B*CJOJQJmH sH u`C@` Body Text Indent$dqa$CJOJQJtH uTR@"T Body Text Indent 2 h^h CJOJQJH2H ?ik Balloon TextCJOJQJ^JaJ.#56\]hiHIT-. jk0000#0#00#0#0#0#0#000#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#00#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#j0$$$'',Y"'toJ 'oJ 8*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsCity9*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsplace MU "X^7:IS;> 333333\\hhVw777: ;86.J2:-:lA-ABxjyIa;2OB2;S%(sm\Xdje'zxT0.|^hMh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHhm m ^m `OJQJo(hHh==^=`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh  ^ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh}}^}`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh ^`hH.h ^`hH.h pLp^p`LhH.h @ @ ^@ `hH.h ^`hH.h L^`LhH.h ^`hH.h ^`hH.h PLP^P`LhH.h88^8`5o(.h ^`hH.h  L ^ `LhH.h   ^ `hH.h xx^x`hH.h HLH^H`LhH.h ^`hH.h ^`hH.h L^`LhH.h 88^8`hH.h ^`hH.h  L ^ `LhH.h   ^ `hH.h xx^x`hH.h HLH^H`LhH.h ^`hH.h ^`hH.h L^`LhH.h^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh88^8`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh  ^ `OJQJo(hHh  ^ `OJQJo(hHhxx^x`OJQJ^Jo(hHohHH^H`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hH 2;Sm\.-:;8A'zx6j|;2OJ2yI )9?ikmQK\@77-P77@@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z ArialE& Century Gothic5& zaTahoma;AGaramond?5 z Courier New;Wingdings"qhx@&S4S4!24d2HX)?K2qThe laws to be considered by the Inquiry include, but are not limited to, laws dealing with the following issues:sacha Emily Gray@         Oh+'0 (< P\ |  tThe laws to be considered by the Inquiry include, but are not limited to, laws dealing with the following issues:sacha Normal.dot Emily Gray3Microsoft Office Word@G@H@mSosoft Office WordS : 4 rThe laws to be considered by the Inquiry include, but are not limited to, laws dealing with the following issues: Title !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<>?@ABCDFGHIJKLORoot Entry F>onQData 1Table 9WordDocument*.SummaryInformation(=DocumentSummaryInformation8ECompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89qRoot Entry FዅhWData 1Table 9WordDocument*. !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<VEU  Title4 $, Oh+'0$ 8D   dlt| tThe laws to be considered by the Inquiry include, but are not limited to, laws dealing with the following issues: Normal.dot1MicrSummaryInformation( DocumentSummaryInformation8CompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q՜.+,D՜.+,\ hp|  < 4 tThe laws to be considered by the Inquiry include, but are not limited to, laws dealing with the following issues: