аЯрЁБс>ўџ ?=ўџџџ@џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` јПЃbjbjЫsЫs *$ЉЉг ТџџџџџџЄііііHHH˜ффф80œT*PPPPffffгееееее$~hц*љHЕffЕЕљі  Pf‹‹‹Е:HfHfг‹Ег‹‹:/,HHofD 0аEœ™Цфяj[ З$0Te YoHoHf0–"‹ИдсfffљљufffTЕЕЕЕœœœDр œœœр \$€џџџџііі $0џџџџџџџџ RE: The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits This submission is about certain aspects of the Commonwealth’s Social Security Act (1991) and the Marriage Act (1961) and their implications on everyday life for queer peoples. Firstly, when it comes to social security, people who are in same sex couples are automatically considered single. The Commonwealth Social Security Act (1991) only considers people to be in a relationship where in Part 1.A in Section 4: Member of a couple—general 4(2) Subject to subsection (3), a person is a member of a couple for the purposes of this Act if: (a) the person is legally married to another person and is not, in the Secretary’s opinion (formed as mentioned in subsection (3)), living separately and apart from the other person on a permanent or indefinite basis; or (b) all of the following conditions are met: (i) the person has a relationship with a person of the opposite sex (in this paragraph called the partner); (ii) the person is not legally married to the partner; (iii) the relationship between the person and the partner is, in the Secretary’s opinion (formed as mentioned in subsections (3) and (3A)), a marriagelike relationship; (iv) both the person and the partner are over the age of consent applicable in the State or Territory in which they live; the person and the partner are not within a prohibited relationship for the purposes of section 23B of the Marriage Act 1961. This section of the act unfairly discriminates against same sex attracted people who are in a relationship as it specifically excludes them from being treated as a couple in regards to social security. For same sex attracted young people (ages 15 to 24), one of the requirements to gain independence is to be in a marriage or a marriage-like relationship are or have been, married , including living in a marriage-like relationship for 12 months or more, or six months (in special circumstances) For young people who are in a same sex relationship, they will not be considered to be independent of their parents until they are 18 (or 25 if they study); even if their relationship is no different to a similar heterosexual couple. Secondly, another point of concern is how legislation is used by the wider community. Government policies often set the benchmark in community expectations on how to view others. What legislation like the Marriage Act (1961) and the Social Security Act (1991) does, apart from not legally recognising same sex couples for specific purposes; it also gives the impression that same sex couples are inferior to heterosexual couples and by implication, same sex attracted people are inferior to their heterosexual counterparts. This, in a society which prides itself as egalitarian and giving a fair go for all, is simply not acceptable. How is it possible for there to be equality for all peoples when different strata of peoples are placed into hierarchies which are legislated by governments? What is so fundamentally different about same sex relationships compared with heterosexual relationships that justify such discrepancies? These are only two areas, and I speak with many people who have to deal with the consequences of these types of legislation like queer students who are unable to be classified as being independent of their parents if they are in a relationship with a same sex partner. I also face on a daily basis of the heterosexism and homophobia on a daily basis, stemming from legislation like the Marriage Act, because of these discrepancies which I can see no justification for. As I said before, these are only two areas and I hope that one day, all forms of discrimination will be eliminated, but governments must lead the way and one way of doing this is by viewing everyone in all areas of legislation the same. Kaz Heffernan Male Queer Sexuality Officer, University of Queensland Union 2006       HYPERLINK "http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/qual_ind_yal.htm" http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/qual_ind_yal.htm as at 2nd June 2006 8Лќ  3 є  ^ Ј К K R Г /—#$%рѓќ>J‚вгджзйкмнпрјяјяјяјяјщрщрщјяјдЦјдИдИдИдІ”‚јzvzvzvzvrh­(цhgM jhgM U#h‘lB*OJPJQJmH phsH #hкs@B*OJPJQJmH phsH #hxnХB*OJPJQJmH phsH hкs@6B*OJQJphjhкs@0JOJQJUhкs@B*OJQJphhкs@56CJ hкs@CJhкs@6OJQJhкs@OJQJ(МНn o ] ^ y м К ш U  8 Г 12–—%&КЛ€њјјјјјіѓёёяяяяъјјјхјјјјјјј & F & F$$a$грЂ§§§€‚вгежийлмопрЁЂЃ§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ћ§§рсту=>?‹Œ ЁЂЃёщиЬИиЎиЬщЊЂhкs@OJQJh­(цhgM 0JOJQJ&jhgM B*OJQJUphhgM B*OJQJph jhgM B*OJQJUphhgM OJQJjhgM 0JOJQJU (А{. 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