LOL

For a while there Ms Soderlind had me fooled.

But then I came across this:

>>Just as I hope that ... Muslim Australians, support my rights, ...>>

And then the penny dropped.

This is a spoof piece.

The Kiwis really should have been more careful about just what they were electing to their parliament, now shouldn't they.

Being behind them is quite often a good idea. It is a good thing we ignore much of their foolishness, like you would with a kid brother.

We could have been stupid enough to follow them with the banning of US ships, just incase they may have had nuclear weapons on board.

I guess when you have a big continent like Oz to hide behind you can afford to indulge in such youthful foolishness.

Isn't bored stiff good, it was an issue but most don't give a rats if your gay any more? How about a meaningful topic, such as endemic waste in government, the collapse in mining investment or street violence? Surely she should be coming of age and starting to care for the (putative) fruit of her life?

I am personally for gay marriage equality. I however, with massive changes in the de facto legislation, and the ability of gay parents to have both partners named as parents etc, don't see this last barrier to equality as an issue worth the barricades.

It will come, probably not as one sweeping reform, but as incremental changes over the next few years. The last vestiges of sexual conservatism that can decide elections will oppose a major change, but not small increments.

As I've pointed out regularly I think the government should get out of the business of registering relationships unless some substantial and tangible benefit can be shown for doing so. If they do insist in continuing in the business then they should not discriminate on the basis of sexual or numerical orientation.

As for the article I was less than impressed. A sense of being a little precious about it all with an underflow of double standards. Some not stated but in context very likely.

The suggestion that Muslim's should support gay marriage would seem to be an example of the same kind of disrespect for others lives that the author is making an issue of. Whilst I happen to disagree with them there are plenty of reasons within the context of their faith for muslims and christians to oppose gay marriage.

I'm left wondering what the authors response would be to the concerns of white male heterosexual's on some of the issues we face in society, would our concerns be negated in the same way that the authors friend negated her concerns.

I consider how often my girl friend is referred to as my wife in interactions with people around. Is that cause for offence or just life?

I'm reminded how often I've seen same sex activists make it clear that they don't support others rights to pluralistic marriage using very similar arguments to those used to oppose same sex marriage.

R0bert

"Homophobia needs to be radically reconceptualised. Gay people may no longer get spat at, but they are being stung by stray throwaway comments. These words, that are sculpted and sharpened by carelessness, form the newfangled bullets of homophobia."

Boo hoo!

Replace the word homophobia with almost any any other group of people and it still applies, try Ageism, Atheism ,Religion, Christianity, Depression,etc