аЯрЁБс>ўџ ;9ўџџџ<џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` јПmbjbjЫsЫs A$ЉЉmџџџџџџЄ>>>>>>>Ždк к к к і ђD6 (> > > >    УХХХХХХ$zhт*щ>     щ>>> > лў‹‹‹ >> >> У‹ У‹‹>>‹> @іъзЎЦк # ‹У0D‹ - T ‹ >‹8  ‹     щщ    D    ђђђФЖ $ђђђЖ R$vџџџџ>>>>>>џџџџ  HYPERLINK "mailto:[Name" [Name Withheld] [Details removed] 2 June 2006 Submission to the Same Sex=Same Entitlements Inquiry Dear HREOC, Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. [Details removed] We are a lesbian couple aged 33 and 34. We have been in a relationship for 2Н years and are living together. We believe that legal recognition of same-sex relationships will have a positive impact in allowing our relationship to be considered equal to a heterosexual relationship, but will also be beneficial in terms of our financial security and our ability to fully contribute to Australian society. We have personally experienced discrimination in the context of Medicare entitlements. As a same-sex couple, we are currently not granted access to the Medicare safety net because a couple is defined specifically as a man and a woman. This has significant impacts on us financially as well as emotionally. Both of us rely on the health system to support us in a number of ways. One of us also lives with two major heath conditions, one of which is Type 1 diabetes, which involves many appointments with various health professionals to help manage this condition. As a result we incur a considerable financial burden in terms of the extra costs of appointments, treatments and medications. We acknowledge that many of the costs associated with our health needs are covered by Medicare rebates. However, we are denied access to the much lower safety net that a heterosexual couple is entitled to – a safety net that we believe we would have already reached this year. Instead, we are treated as two single individuals for the purposes of the Medicare safety net. Therefore our ‘threshold’ for the purposes of the Medicare safety net is at least twice that of a heterosexual couple. Given that registering as a couple or family for the purposes of the Medicare safety net is advertised as a ‘benefit’ as it means reaching the thresholds sooner (see  HYPERLINK "http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au)" http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au), we believe that we are being denied a financial benefit that other Australians are being encouraged to take up. And given that we pay the same rates of tax as heterosexual people, being denied the same benefits from the taxes we pay is discriminatory. Our exclusion from this benefit also impacts us emotionally. It sends a very strong message that while we have made a commitment to each other for life, we, and other same-sex couples like us, are less worthy than heterosexual couples. It also conveys to us that we are considered second-class citizens by the very government that we rely on to serve and represent us. This influences the way we see ourselves – knowing that we are considered less worthy or less deserving than others has considerable impact on our self-esteem and sense of self-worth. We are both hard-working, ordinary Australians. We both make a valuable contribution to society in our work and everyday lives. We are blessed with amazing families and wonderful friends who totally support and accept our relationship. We have the same dreams and desires as any other couple: to be happy, to own our own home, to enjoy our relationships with our families, friends and other loved ones, and to feel as if we are a valued member of the community. The only difference between us and any other couple is that we are both women. We are not asking for much when we ask to be treated the same as any other Australian. It is also our fundamental human right to be treated with respect and dignity. Giving same-sex couples the same rights and entitlements as heterosexual couples will provide those of us who happen to love someone of the same sex the respect and dignity we deserve. 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