Aussielicious

Today was the official launch on the steps of Sydney Opera House of the “Wear it With Pride” campain, a campaign that has seen the reform of 85 pieces of legislation that discriminated agains the GLBT community in the workplace, superannuation, discrimination and all sorts of other areas.

Celebrities from the Australian media (including Ruby Rose and Nathalie Bassingthwaite, pictured) were present to highlight these reforms and launch the program today. It’s a big day and a great thing to celebrate. Fairness and human rights are all we ask. I wonder how long before Australia has gay marriage equality.

Gay Marriage still is not on the cards here in Australia with our Prime Minister and people in his Parliament stating yet again that it’s not going to happen, but Kevin Rudd is still maintaining his promise to equalise legislation for those in same sex relationships.

Our Senate passed amendments to family, taxation and health laws so that homosexual couples have the same access to services as married, de-facto and common law couples. It’s a great step, but I’d love to see gay marriage legalised. I don’t want the religious connotations but the total commitment and legal aspects that marriage offers.

Read the full related article here.

The ACT (Australian Capital Territory) has just had a quiet but landmark civil union by a homosexual couple. New laws allow same sex partnerships to recognise civil ceremonies but sadly the ceremony still isn’t legally binding. The identity of the couple hasn’t been made public but they have been together for 25 years. I love that stuff! Congratulations to the men.

Read the full article here.

Following the Californian court ruling to overturn the ban on gay marriage I just saw this on Ellen and it made me get a bit teary with happiness. Ellen seems like such an amazing person. All the very best to Ellen and Portia.

In these times where Christian fundamentalism and religious bigotry are leaving their mark, I think it’s very important that shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters are showing regular guys, being gay and god forbid even kissing. I think the conservative parts of America and Australia and other countries around the world need to see stuff like this to prove that gay men are everywhere, and in every walk of life. And personally, even though this is scripted television, I’m a sucker for a romance.

I’d heard about this from reading blogs but just watched this report in full. It’s so sad that people still use the word “sissy” and trot out that old line, it’s Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve. The fact that the woman called the Emergency Services hotline because two guys were kissing shows remarkable ignorance and bigotry but I guess on a positive note it shows that Baltimore was having a quiet crime day. Perhaps the most disturbing part for me was the guy who said he believes in carrying a gun and that people should be “put down”.

KEVIN Rudd has been presented with his first major challenge on gay law reform from within his own party, with ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope challenging him to allow gay and lesbian civil unions in the territory.

Mr Stanhope said the Prime Minister – a self-described social conservative – should allow the move, arguing that if Mr Rudd could demand China respect the human rights of Tibetans he should defend the rights of his own citizens at home.

Read the full article here.