аЯрЁБс>ўџ 8:ўџџџ9џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №П?bjbjЫsЫs ;*ЉЉ?џџџџџџЄ†&Š>ЖFFFFFFFFНПППППП$єh\*уFFFFFуFFјјјјF FFНјFНјје!F: Э„sиЎЦP"эЁ0>ѕ,†r|†!†!€FFјFFFFFуую FFF>FFFFŠŠŠŽ „ŠŠŠŽ 04d"џџџџџџџџ Submission into the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related benefits and Entitlements – “Same-Sex: Same Entitlements” From the submissions that your Inquiry has received already, it is clear that there are many areas in which same-sex couples experience financial, social and legal disadvantage for no other reason than because of their choice of partner. This is most evident in areas that come under the legislative control of the Commonwealth Government – the majority of States having removed much, if not all, remaining discriminatory laws. Throughout this Inquiry, I believe the most fundamental matter must be the recognition that there is no regard for majority opinion as it concerns the application of individual rights in Article 2(1) of the ICCPR: Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to respect and to ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It is completely irrelevant, with respect to this Article, that some people do not wish same-sex couples to receive equal treatment under the law. The rights of a minority regardless of the basis of that status should enjoy equal rights. The classic symbol of Justice is that she is blindfolded. Regardless of whom you are or what you believe Justice treats all equally. By wearing a blindfold Justice does not allow the sense of sight to sway her judgements. That fundamental principle should be at the forefront of any consideration as to whether discrimination in any form should be abolished. As John Stuart Mill said in 1861; “a principle of perfect equality admitting no power or privilege on the one side nor disability on the other side.” The rights that are granted to same-sex Australians should be no more or less than the rights that are granted to any Australian. To have in Commonwealth legislation privileges that only apply to opposite-sex couples is by its very nature discriminatory. To prevent same sex relationships being recognised in terms of financial and work-related benefits and entitlements is unfair. The law in this regard has changed over the years to accept the value of de facto partnerships. No longer do individuals have to marry according to the laws of the Commonwealth for their relationship to be acknowledged. The law treats a man and woman living in a committed de facto relationship as being no different to those who are married. With this example before the Commonwealth, a similar demonstration of a same-sex couple who are living in a committed de facto relationship as defined under other legislation should be entitled to exactly the same rights and privileges. Given that the Commonwealth Marriage Act as amended in 2004 is not the basis for determining the rights and privileges that opposite-sex de facto couples enjoy then there should be no reason under any other Commonwealth legislation that covers financial and work related entitlements to discriminate against same-sex couples. Marriage does not determine the rights that a de facto couple has to adopt children, nominate their partner as their beneficiary or as their next of kin. Society has over the years accepted that a relationship does not have to formalised through marriage for the couple to enjoy certain rights that are extended to married couples. Therefore to not extend those same rights to same sex couples is discriminatory. A common objection – that the rights we extend to couples is by virtue of their having children – is shown to be false when we consider that we also grant such “privileges” to elderly, infertile or otherwise childless couples. The rights enjoyed by de facto couples are moreover granted regardless of either the presence or absence of children. Furthermore, it is completely absurd and unreasonable to argue for the best interests of children while at the same time promoting laws that discriminate against the children of same-sex parents. If benefits to couples are designed to promote the interests of children, then how can one possibly justify withholding those benefits from some children for no other reason than that their parents are both of the same gender? It is most probable that the children of same-sex couples are harmed by the discrimination that same-sex couples and their families face. I do not find the argument that withholding rights from same-sex couples is in the interests of children very convincing. Same-sex couples have continued to raise children in the current environment – demonstrating that current discrimination does nothing to “discourage” such behaviour. We are not preventing same-sex couples from raising children with current discriminatory practices – and nor should we – but we are making the lives of their children more difficult. * * * * * * It is unacceptable that same-sex couples face continued discrimination largely based on the claim that the majority of people do not “agree” with same-sex couples being recognised by law. While I would dispute this claim, whether it is true or not is irrelevant: it is not for the majority to withhold rights from others simply because they do not want them to have them. To further claim that continued discrimination against same-sex couples is necessary in order to discourage the practice is misguided and offensive. In a liberal democracy such as ours, we should never accept anything less than full rights for all of our citizens – including the freedom to live according to one’s own desires and aspirations. 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