аЯрЁБс>ўџ /1ўџџџ0џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПКbjbjЫsЫs . ЉЉ, € џџџџџџЄttt„ааа \ \ \ 8”   4 Р Р Р Р Р Р Р Р ’ ” ” ” ” ” ” $!h‰*И аР Р Р Р Р И ааР Р Э b b b Р "аР аР ’ b Р ’ b b ааb Р Д №К єЉ Ц\ т .b ’ у 0 b Г Гb Гаb 0Р Р b Р Р Р Р Р И И  RР Р Р  Р Р Р Р 444d˜ Ф444˜ ф$џџџџ”$Иџџџџаааџџџџ Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission: National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. Dear HREOC, Thank you for the opportunity to present a submission to the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. Even a brief reading through the sample of submissions that the HREOC have already received in response to this inquiry gives voice to the experience that people in same sex relationships receive different treatment to people in heterosexual marriage. In addition to this differing treatment it is evident that for these people their experiences causes much heartache. While these observations may be true the terms of reference of the HREOC inquiry are directed towards determining if discrimination exits. Such differing treatment does not equate to discrimination. In order for a situation to be discriminatory then people of a similar situation must be treated in differing ways. This is clearly not the case in relation to people in same sex relationships. By way of parallel, people of varying occupations are treated differently under the Australian Taxation system. For example those who are self employed experience differing tax regulations than those who work for a company. However people experiencing different taxation policies according to their form of employment do not consider that they are being discriminated against in comparison to people in differing work conditions (even if they do not agree with the taxation legislation that is applied to them). Instead they understand that it is a normal social situation of people in different situations being managed in different ways in the one common life circumstance of taxation. This basic principle is applied across many areas of life. With this in mind it seems that the finding of the HREOC can only be that while people in same sex relationships may be administered differently with regard to financial and work-related entitlements and benefits, they are not discriminated against. As the Australian constitution currently stands, people in same sex relationships are not classified as married or as in a spousal relationship. Again, by definition, for discrimination to take place people of similar situation must be treated in differing ways. Presently people in different situations are treated differently. Despite the protests of those who support same sex unions, this is not discrimination. Yours sincerely, Gary Stephens.  It should be distinguished that many of the instances of differing treatment towards people in same sex relationships that appear in these submissions do not actually relate to the terms of reference of the inquiry, that is, Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits, but are more concerned with social and relational/family definitions and inclusion into social institutions and structures such as marriage and family rights.  I understand that many people in same sex relationships would take offence to my assertion that they are in a different relationship to marriage given that they consider their long-term relationships in the same category as marriage. However as defined by our constitution (a definition which is supported by a study of social history and anthropology that shows that although same sex relationships have always existed in some form they have never been considered as marriage) same sex relationships are not marriage. It should also be noted that the terms of reference of this current enquiry do not include addressing the status of same sex relationships in comparison to recognised heterosexual unions.     01ЖЊ Ћ АБ,-уфх)ЉЌ­ЏАВГЕЖЙКђчулЭлЭлУПЗПУПЗПЏПЏПЏПЏПлjh Uh mH sH h jh 0JUjhC0JUmH sH hCmH sH hChC5\mH sH hCCJOJQJmH sH 01ЖЗУФ† ‡ Р С n  ,фЋЌЎЏБВДЕЗячхннннннннннннллйййййййй$dha$$dha$$dh-DMЦ џџa$,ЌЙ§§§ЗИЙК§§ѕ$dha$,1hА‚. 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