аЯрЁБс>ўџ ;=ўџџџ<џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПP*bjbjЫsЫs .8ЉЉP"џџџџџџЄкккккккDд < )$\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Ј Њ Њ Њ Њ Њ Њ $MhЕ*Ю к\ \ \ \ \ Ю кк\ \ у D D D \ :к\ к\ Ј D \ Ј D D ккD \ P B’HДЦ – RD Ј љ 0)D пш RпD пкD d\ \ D \ \ \ \ \ Ю Ю : \ \ \ )\ \ \ \ ЄМ dМ ю4""џџџџккккккџџџџ 15/06/06 [Name Withheld] Submission to the Same-Sex Same Entitlements Inquiry. Dear HREOC, Thank you for the opportunity to make a public submission to the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits. I am a 43 year old lesbian, who has been in a loving, committed relationship with my partner for almost 13 years. We have a beautiful six month old daughter, and my partner is carrying our second child. I believe that Commonwealth legal recognition of same-sex relationships including families parented by same-sex partners would have a positive impact on my relationships, family life, productivity at work and financial security, among other areas of my life. Lack of legal recognition impacts negatively on these areas of my life. I have experienced discrimination in the workplace on the basis of my being a lesbian in a same-sex relationship. I was employed as a teacher in the private school system. Some of the other teachers were aware that I am a lesbian. One of my superiors advised me that if any of the pupils found out I am a lesbian, I would be sacked. I knew that the school had the power to do so, and it made me feel very uncomfortable and insecure. I had to be very careful about everything I said, making sure I never used the word ‘we’ when describing any activity or event in my life. I was forced to be constantly on my guard, in case I inadvertently implied that I had a partner or that I was in a same-sex relationship. It even affected my life away from school. One weekend, a student spied me at a cafщ with my partner and some other lesbian friends. I was terrified of what she would say to the other students, and whether word would get back to my superiors, giving them grounds to sack me. Meanwhile, heterosexual teachers were free to flaunt their relationships, discussing them openly with students. When one of my colleagues got engaged, the principal even made an announcement over the school loudspeaker. I was expected to celebrate that teacher’s relationship while keeping silent about my own. I was also expected to attend school functions without my partner, even though everybody else could be accompanied by their partners. Ultimately, the pressure of hiding my relationship became unbearable, and I resigned from the school. This had a huge financial impact on me. I lost wages and benefits, and for a while I was in a very precarious financial position until I found a position where I could be open about who I am. This experience of discrimination continues to affect me today. Although I relate very well with young people, I have not worked with children since that time. This has restricted my employment options and stopped me from pursuing work in areas that I love. This discrimination also affects the community, because young people miss out on the positive qualities and input that I have to offer. Young people also get inaccurate and destructive messages when it is implied that all people are heterosexual, or when those who are not are silenced, as I was. I am concerned that this type of discrimination will become more commonplace, following the passing of Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005. Discrimination on the basis of sexuality or partner relationships needs to be outlawed, and no exemptions should apply. My partner and I have also experienced discrimination as parents of a child born into a same-sex family. We incurred unnecessary costs in conceiving our child. Because of discriminatory laws in my birth State, Victoria, which would have denied us access to any assisted conception other than medically risky and invasive options, we moved interstate to NSW to start our family. This was a costly exercise. So too was the actual procedure for assisted insemination by donor sperm, particularly as we were not considered a family for Medicare threshold purposes. As such, my partner had to spend twice as much money before she was eligible for the safety net, than we would have had to, if our relationship had been recognised. I conceived our first child. My partner was present at the conception, and was fully involved in all aspects of the pregnancy and birth. She attended every single medical and midwife appointment, often as the only partner in the waiting room. It seemed to me that her commitment to our child was and is over and above that of many fathers. At the hospital where we gave birth, many of the staff commented on the positive and supportive nature of our relationship. It was clear to everyone who came into contact with us that my partner is our daughter’s parent. Yet, we found that the birth registration process was extremely discriminatory. There was no space to list my partner as parent. We crossed out ‘father’ and wrote ‘mother 2’ on the form, with my partner’s name next to it. Our application for registration was rejected. We were not able to register my partner as our child’s parent. This affected us financially as we have now had to pay for a birth certificate and a passport that do not reflect our child’s true family and that keep us invisible. This discrimination must be abolished and forms must be changed to reflect the diversity of families today, rather than forcing us to answer questions about our child’s father, when she does not have one. This discrimination has led to other financial costs. We have to prepare court orders in an attempt to ensure that my partner’s parental rights are recognised. There is no guarantee that these will grant my partner full rights as a parent. We will have to go through this whole rigmarole again now that my partner is pregnant with our second child. As a parent, it is terrible to think that in a medical emergency, your wishes may not be respected. This is just one possible scenario we could face. It is grossly discriminatory and unjust that parenthood is measured by a body part and not by involvement in the child’s life. Further, my partner is not entitled to claim the child care rebate, as we are not recognised as a partnership by the Taxation Department. This impacts negatively on our economic status and on my health. I have a disability that is managed in part through undertaking hydrotherapy programs. Lack of access to the child care rebate has made the cost of child care prohibitive for us, limiting my ability to undertake this important aspect of my personal healthcare. As a result, my medical condition is deteriorating. It is unfair that my body should be punished because the government refuses to acknowledge my relationship. I have also experienced discrimination in the context of Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Although I had personally reached the threshold for the Medicare safety net scheme, my partner did not receive these entitlements, even though we are a family. I even had to fight for my daughter‘s medical expenses to be covered. Further, I am also eligible for a pharmaceutical benefit entitlement card. Again, my partner and child are excluded. As a result, we pay more as a family for medical expenses and medicines. This is an unfair strain on our family. It is difficult enough coping with the burden of cost associated with having a disability, let alone having to pay extra because of outdated discriminatory attitudes. There are a number of other situations where we pay more because of discrimination against couples in same-sex relationships. Other tax concessions are also denied us. My partner and I do not have access to tax minimising schemes that are available to heterosexual families. Under the present definitions, my partner is not entitled to claim me or our child as dependents. It is unfair that we pay proportionally higher tax than heterosexual couples do, and that we get less benefits for our tax dollars than heterosexual couples do. I urge you to consider these matters and recommend that the laws – and the bureaucratic policies, procedures and paperwork - be changed to remove discrimination on the basis of being in a same-sex relationship or part of a same-sex family. I wish to add that discrimination occurs in many areas of our lives, not merely financial or economic areas. Discrimination also occurs on the basis of sexuality, and not just on the basis of being in a relationship. It is a shame that the confines of this Inquiry are so narrow. The law must protect single lesbians and gay men as well. It is therefore hoped that these areas will also be examined, and that any discrimination which impacts negatively on us will be abolished. Thank you again for the opportunity to make this submission and for your consideration of the matters that I have raised. 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