аЯрЁБс>ўџ 13ўџџџ2џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПRbjbjЫsЫs .ЉЉR џџџџџџЄfffffffœDааааь рVьезззззз$BhЊ*ћf777ћffaaa7 ffеa7еaaffaј ЙІ\ԘЦаA aе&0VaдK дaдfat„ˆ^aцL2ћћW V7777р$ $( „Ќ $р ( Ќ zŽџџџџffffffџџџџ Because we are gay! Why are we annoyed? Gay and lesbians are amazing when you come to think of it: their resilience and strength of character shines through when you consider what many are put through and have to overcome, simply to share and enjoy their lives with that special person. Innuendo, labelling, abuse and bashing are realities for too many but still we continue to contribute in work, sport, parenting and a host of other creative endeavours that nurture and enhance the communities of which we are a part. Our experience: We lived together in London for over a decade, and in the late 1980s were given the opportunity through an enlightened Government policy to travel to Australia (the home of one of us), apply for resident status for the other and settle down to life “down under”. It wasn’t all roses: UK regulations at the time did make it difficult for us to stay, restricting employment options for the non-English citizen, and the decision to leave was traumatic. But we took the chance and we did it and we have continued to happily contribute to this country since then. In fact, we are now both Australian citizens. Things have come full circle: Now we find ourselves in a position where the UK law has changed dramatically and the Australian position is much less enlightened. As citizens, we are still refused equal recognition: we can be denied access if either of us is hospitalised; we can be denied the right of involvement to what medical treatment we receive; we can be denied involvement in funeral arrangements and even attendance at the other’s funeral. There are over ninety South Australian laws which discriminate against same sex partners, continuing the stigma attached to being a same sex couple. At both the Commonwealth and State levels, the situation is unsatisfactory. What are the next steps? We are scandalised and angry that the situation has developed in the way that it has and things must change. The recognition of civil unions is an option but, like other countries, same sex and heterosexual couples must be given options to marry or have their unions recognised in other ways. We now have expectations, based on real world examples, that there are alternatives (for example, we could now return to the UK as a recognised couple). We want brave action so the mark of worth is not about who your partner is, but more about what you contribute to your community. We believe that when full citizen rights are given to same sex couples. The social negatives that gay people have to live through, will gradually diminish. Henry Tib and Barry Mortimer [Details removed] 31 May 2006 (щ ! " # , 6 ? @ H y z | ‡ б в ж т  < A K    z { љѕёэоЬоЬКоКоКоКоКоКоЋоœоКœ˜†œ†œwœwœe#hА*єhu5CJOJQJ^JaJhƒR+5CJOJQJ^JaJ#hчlhнu45CJOJQJ^JaJhнu4hнu45CJOJQJ^JaJh,85CJOJQJ^JaJ#hчlhu5CJOJQJ^JaJ#hчlhчl5CJOJQJ^JaJhчl5CJOJQJ^JaJhчlhuhq а hчlhu$(! "  $ % { ™ 6wx3EQRњѕ№№№ѕыыыѕцѕцццсмсс№gd§iДgdнOщgdА*єgdнu4gdчlgdƒR+gd§iДR§{ ˜ ™ љ   ( 7 S j Œ К м <„ЄЋб!%6[є;?w3EPљђудудТдТдТдТдТдТдГдЏЋЏдГдГдœŠуxiœhA2;5CJOJQJ^JaJ#hчlh§iД5CJOJQJ^JaJ#hА*єh,85CJOJQJ^JaJh,85CJOJQJ^JaJhƒR+hА*єhƒR+5CJOJQJ^JaJ#hчlhА*є5CJOJQJ^JaJhА*є5CJOJQJ^JaJhнOщ5CJOJQJ^JaJ hнOщhu hнOщhнOщ"PQRэл#hчlhu5CJOJQJ^JaJ#hнOщh§iД5CJOJQJ^JaJ,1hА‚. АЦA!А"А# $ %ААФАФ Ф†œD@ёџD Normal5CJ_HaJmH sH tH X@X чl Heading 1$Є№Є<@&CJ KH OJQJ\^JaJ Z@Z ƒR+ Heading 2$Є№Є<@&6CJOJQJ\]^JaJDAђџЁD Default Paragraph FontRiѓџГR  Table Normalі4ж l4жaі (kєџС(No ListH™ђH чl Balloon TextCJOJQJ^JaJB'ЂB q аComment ReferenceCJaJ<< q а Comment TextCJaJ>j> q аComment Subject\R џџџџ џџ"&ЃR (!" $%{™6w x   3 E Q T r Мr Ѕr sr sr sr Ѕr sr sr sr Ѕr sr Ѕr sr sr sr sr sr sr sr s(!" $%{™6  3 Q T š0€€ 0€€š0€€š0€€š0€€{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0€š0€€{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0€˜0€€(!" $%{™6  3 Q T {ˆ0€{ˆ0€{ˆ0€{ˆ0€{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0€€€{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0{ˆ0€€(!" $%{™6w x   3 E Q T 0€€0€˜0€˜0€˜0€0€˜0€ ˜0€ ˜0€ 0€˜0€{0€˜0€˜0€˜0€˜0€˜0€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€(!" $%{™6  3 Q T 0€€€0€a€0€bИ˜0€b€0€b€0€a€0€z€0€z€0€z€0€a€˜0€€0€a€˜0€Г€˜0€Г€˜0€Г€˜0€Г€˜0€Г€{ PR R R џџ Zўl [ўєѓ#\ўD}Њ]ўФЊ^ўБєЗkАЈАЈДкЖФ,8Џ§iД