аЯрЁБс>ўџ 24ўџџџ3џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №П!bjbjЫsЫs ."ЉЉ!џџџџџџЄооооооо.TЊ Њ Њ Њ Ж ‚fЖж ж ж ж ж ж ж ж хчччччч$h„* о‹ж ж ‹‹ оож ж ЕЕЕ‹ ож ож хЕ‹хЕЕооЕж Ъ №ŽpтЕ ЦЊ •.Ех60fЕЎУшЎЕЎоЕ0ж Ъ  Е0tЄчж ж ж  Ћ ж ж ж f‹‹‹‹‚‚‚Є& „‚‚‚& ђ$џџџџооооооџџџџ  All love is equal……..isn’t it? To Whom It May Concern: I am a lesbian mother and I am appalled and disappointed in our government and our country. We have people fighting for people’s basic human rights for people in other countries all around the world that are being treated unfairly and while these are important issues are they aware that the GLBT people in their community are suffering injustices, discrimination and are denied equal rights and opportunities? Are they aware that a simple night out, a trip to the shops often results in discrimination and abuse? The types of abuse suffered vary from verbal to physical. A night out on Lygon Street, Carlton a couple of months ago to a lesbian bar resulted in bottles and rocks being thrown at a group of us as well as verbal abuse being hurled at us. Our fun night out ended with us having to call the police. We are unaware of what the police did and whether they were caught or not, we were never advised. What if this had occurred earlier in the day when I had my 3 year old son with me? I have received many forms of discrimination due to my sexuality and the way that I look. I have received verbal abuse when I have been out with my son and my partner. Do people have the right to judge me as a person and a parent due to my sexuality? Do people have the right to be concerned for my son’s safety because his mother is a lesbian? No nobody has the right to judge me because of my sexuality and base my parenting skills on this either, they have no right to fear for my child because his mother is gay. He is living in a loving and caring household and is cared for better than some children in heterosexual family units. Do we deserve to be denied of rights such as: Not having our relationships recognized? Denying us the right to choose to get married or have a civil union and have this recognized as a loving union between 2 people? Income tax assessment act 1997 excludes same sex couples from the income tax benefits available to heterosexual couples. The following tax benefits are not available to same-sex couples: -Dependent spouse rebate -Housekeeper rebate -Child-housekeeper rebate -Parent rebate -Superannuation rebate -Medical expenses rebate -Pensioner rebate -Low-income aged person’s rebate Surviving same-sex partners of veterans are not entitled to a defense force widows pension. As a lesbian mother I am seen as a family and have to pay the family rate of private health insurance (as do all single mothers with private health insurance), which is unfair for anybody. Why should a single parent household have to pay the same as a two-parent family with a child/ren? Another injustice is that my partner would have to get her own policy for health insurance, as we would not be recognized as a couple. Why should we have to pay for 2 lots of private health insurance? Same-sex partners are not recognized as being a part of the family unit for migration to Australia. While heterosexual people that migrate to Australia are entitled to bring their family unit with them, homosexual couples are unable to do this and must apply for residency separately, as homosexual couples do not fit the definition of a ‘family unit’. I often wonder how countries like: Canada, The Netherlands, Spain, USA- Massachusetts, South Africa and Belgium have legalized same-sex marriage but a country like Australia has done the opposite. The GLBTI community have been fighting for rights forever. We finally felt as though we were starting to be recognized and Howard wants to take away our rights to Civil Unions. We were given something only to have it threatened to be taken away. Who gives Howard or other close minded people in Australia to judge us due to our sexuality? Why does the government have the power to decide whether we are worthy of having rights and being treated like human beings. Australia is the only country to have banned same-sex marriage! This makes me embarrassed of my country and embarrassed that there are so many people that are ignorant and uneducated about sexual orientation. Michelle Bennett !!ќѓќhе`5CJ$\hе`!":;{ $ вћ|8QeŽЅОаёMNOPQ<=Ÿ§§јјјјіііјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјјј$a$!§Ÿ ef`a !њњњњњњњњњ$a$ ,1hАа/ Ар=!А"А# $ %ААаАа а†œ@@ёџ@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DAђџЁD Default Paragraph FontViѓџГV  Table Normal :V і4ж4ж laі (kєџС(No List 4B@ђ4 Body Text$a$!"џџџџ џџ z™ џџ z™Q !ы!":;{$вћ|8QeŽЅОаёM N O P Q < = Ÿ   e f `a #Р!ЌР!ЌР!дР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!ЌР!Ќ!":;{$вћ|8QeŽЅОаёM N O P Q < = Ÿ   e f `a #˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€!":;{$вћ|#йŠ0ј€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ0€йŠ08Ÿ! 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