Refreshing to see the ALP National Conference join the 21st Century and move away from its homophobic stance on same-gender lifelong relationships. For those who are upset or uneasy, or merely locked into an unhelpful mindset which they grew up with (possibly encouraged by an affiliation with some church or other - whose history includes the torture-killing of women called witches), let me say this: the term "gay marriage" is something of a misnomer. The deep issue concerns any persons, regardless of gender or orientation, who choose to live as life-partners, and the natural justice that they shall have access to the same rights of bequeathing property (the shared home etc) and recognition in other ways.
There is some amusing irony in the fact that in the 19th Century (to cite only that era) it was regarded as entirely respectable - and even necessary for social propriety - for a woman, when neither married nor still in the parents' home, to share a place with another woman. So also for men. It was "not OK" for men and women to co-habit unwed. And what misery and abuse that frequently led to, in the bonds of matrimony. What have we learned? Sadly, not a lot.
There is some amusing irony in the fact that in the 19th Century (to cite only that era) it was regarded as entirely respectable - and even necessary for social propriety - for a woman, when neither married nor still in the parents' home, to share a place with another woman. So also for men. It was "not OK" for men and women to co-habit unwed. And what misery and abuse that frequently led to, in the bonds of matrimony. What have we learned? Sadly, not a lot.
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