аЯрЁБс>ўџ +-ўџџџ,џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПГbjbjЫsЫs 7ЉЉГ џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄкєжжжж т Ю† іњњњњњњњњ       $| hф*+ Є њњ  + ЄЄњњ@ Щ Щ Щ  ІЄњЄњ Щ   Щ Щ ЄЄЩ њю РКєХЖ Цж% šЩ  V 0† Щ П Щ ЄЩ <њZT@Щ ”4ШЗњњњ+ + П њњњ†     ЮЮЮфВ$ЮЮЮВИЬџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ Hello my name is Amanda. I would like to share some incidents of inequality which I have experienced since coming out (and I have a good comparison having been married....to a man, twice!) My female life partner (another Aussie)and I were were living in the Uk when she died unexpededly. It was heartbreaking enough without the additional stressors of not being able to sign her death certificate (her father had to do it as "next of kin")I was not granted the pension she had told me was for me ("so I could be looked after if anything ever happened"), hence I cashed-in a chunk of my life savings to support myself during the grief period when I was unable to work. Her mother came to the uk some months later to "collect her things" including some precious personal items. The family requested the condolence books from our workplace where most of the entries were our colleques plus all originals of nursing certificate courses we had worked on together. I felt I could not say no (nor could I ever imagine this happening in a hetero partnership) but was not up for a fight! In a way I am glad that it was overseas as goodness knows what may have happened if her family may have beeen able to push me away from being at her side as she died and with the exception of her father I was the sole relative organizing the funeral (enabling me to carry our her wishes). When she was gravely ill in the hospital where we both worked I did not say "partner" fearing possible worse treatment, but then went on to be excluded as a "concerned friend". I am glad things have changed in the Uk now.. for us it's too late! I would like to see the equality laws changed here to include same-sex couples not for marriage, religion or to immitate hetero life (been there done that) just so we have the same entitlements as any one else. It is not about saying we are the same (if that is considered offensive), it is about being different in lifestlye only but not in our contribution and therfore entitlement. Now living in QLD (as from VIC originally)I have already experienced being the subject of gossip and exclusion after coming out at work. Even by the head of the company (a charity of all things)who said to just "keeep it private". I also was shocked to learn that reaching the medicare safety net did not allow my new partner (who I owned a home with) to benefit as opposite sex couples do. It is upsetting that when two income earners with no kids who work full time and pay taxes, who do not draw on services of community such as hospitals and schools in the same way as our opposite sex counterparts are in no way compensated. We are in fact worse off finacially but more importantly emotionally....not bitter just wanting a fair go. I hope my comments of real life events trigger some realisation and help make a difference. I am also willing to comment further and speak, write or share my story (in any honest forum) in the future if it will help our cause! Thank you, Amanda. 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