аЯрЁБс>ўџ 68ўџџџ7џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №П>"bjbjЫsЫs .&ЉЉ>џџџџџџЄююююююю>„ЪЪЪЪ жТмfіііііббб+------$BhЊ*QEюббQююііл–GGG юіюі+G+GGююGіъ 0ъԘЦЪ  G+Ќ0мGд(дGGœдюуHб>,G;$_ЂбббQQ= бббмТТТЦ ТТТЦ $&џџџџююююююџџџџ 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 in our mid thirties. Sarah is currently 34 weeks pregnant with twins conceived through the help of a known donor dad and IVF at Melbourne IVF. Sarah and I have been together for 5 and half years and began planning our family over 3 years ago. Aware of the restrictions on lesbian women accessing Assisted Reproductive Technology in Victoria, we investigated clinics in Brisbane, Albury and Hobart and took some time to decide on the appropriate donor dad for our children. Eventually, and ironically luckily, Sarah was diagnosed with PCOS thereby allowing her to enter the ART program in Victoria as a "clinically infertile" woman. We began ART in May 2004 followed by 7 IVF treatments until the conception of our twins in October 2005. Throughout the process, which included lengthy treatment for Sarah's PCOS condition, Sarah was classified as a single person. The biggest financial burden we faced during this often emotional and distressing time was Medicare Safety Net. During the process if we had been able to be declared a couple under federal law, the safety net threshold for receiving the rebate would have been only $350. Instead we had to wait until Sarah alone had reached the safety net threshold of $700 in a calendar year to access the 80% rebate. We believe that the Medicare safety net is discriminatory and unfair. We had lived in a genuine domestic arrangement for over 2 years prior to starting ART treatment and believe we should be considered a couple for all intents and purposes under Federal law. In addition as I am organising time off from 2 part-time positions to be with Sarah and our babies, I have become aware of problems with the agreement in one workplace which only allows Parental Leave for a male spouse as defined by the terms of the agreement. Apart from the fact that it is only one week, I have been able to access this leave because I have an excellent manager who is willing to give it to me. The lack of access to longer paid leave and lack of acknowledgment of my role as Sarah's partner in parenting of the babies adds another financial burden to our new family. I 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, our children. I believe that Commonwealth legal recognition of same sex relationships including families parented by same sex partners would have a positive impact on my relationships, family life, productivity at work and financial security, among other areas of my life. Ii is ironic that while as a couple we are aiming to produce one child each and "one for the country" as per Costello's suggestion, we can't have our relationship or our family recognised. If HREOC were ever to consider another enquiry we have a few suggestions: •№ №Addressing the constant vilification of same sex attracted people, their relationships and their children by politicians and government-funded organisations or government grant recipients including groups. •№ №Addressing the use of homophobic and transphobic language in schools and community health settings •№ №A national audit of inclusive curriculum in Australian schools - with a view to presenting to state based EOCs for action.(Inclusive of the diversity of family types etc) •№ №A national study of state and territory discrimination of gay and lesbian people accessing ART, adoption and surrogacy as per the Victorian Law Reform Commission. We also support that7РФbf.2ŠŽ n Œ ї!њ!+",";"<"=">"ятзтзтзтзтетЧтЗт­Ѕ­ž— hC_hр} hЊThbђhж7уhЊT\hЊThЊT5\hC_hbђ6OJQJ]^JhC_hbђ5OJQJ\UhC_hbђOJQJhC_hbђOJQJ^J hbђ5CJOJQJ\^JaJ7DE Е Ж  !mnPQUV(*Рb.Šжиm n њњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњњgdbђ>"§ changes need to be made in all areas of financial and work-related legislation as outlined in your report. LOVE MAKES A FAMILY CAMPAIGN For further information on the lesbian and gay community response to the current Victorian Law Reform Commission Enquiry into ART, Adoption and Surrogacy please see our campaign website: www.lovemakesafamilyaustralia.org Thank you for conducting this very important enquiry. We are happy to assist with any public meetings you may have in Melbourne or Victoria. Yours sincerely Felicity Martin & Sarah Lowe [Details removed] n Œ j!k!љ!њ! " "*"+"=">"њњњњњњњњњѓёЄ№gdbђgdbђ ,1hА‚. 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