With looming peak oil & global, warming gay rights are a totally a non event except for one thing:
All of the problems in the world stem from overpopulation, so yes, lets have gay marriage but a firm block on any form of child bearing and rearing. That would help to solve the population problem in a small way

Riz Too

ROFL

Yeah, I know watcha mean - say I was at a party and Brad and Angela walked in, not even a three-way..... well maybe, so long as Ange was .... maybe too much info. I'll just keep that fantasy to myself.

Sarnian

"lets have gay marriage but a firm block on any form of child bearing and rearing"

You do understand that it's straights who give birth and raise gays to begin with don't you? Gays and lezzos didn't just materialise from under a cabbage.

There are plenty of gay couples caring for children who grow up to be hetero. It is not like religious indoctrination. You can't just decide to be gay because you have 2 mums or 2 dads. In fact stats on kids of same sex parents have proven to be very successful. See here:

http://news.discovery.com/human/parents-gender-children.html

Just because someone is hetero doesn't automatically make them good parents.

I agree with the two basic points Ken is trying to make – that gays should have the same rights before the law as anyone else, and that this is a fundamental principle and should not therefore should not be subject to a conscience vote.

But I don’t think he’s going to win anyone to his point of view with this style of argument. Hyperbole about “Christian soldiers”, comparisons with Nazi Germany and hints that pluralism is threatened give more than enough reasons to dismiss Ken’s arguments out of hand – which is a shame, because his core point is a valid one.

Gay or straight, what does it matter?

Marriage is a private affair - something to do with a couple, their relatives and friends, their religion if they so choose, and whomever and whatever else they agree upon. The government should step out and have nothing to do with it.

There should be no marriage registry and the word "marriage" should not even appear in legislation: this solves the gay issue as well!

While I agree with legitimizing gay marriage, and it is the "right thing to do", it is probably the wrong time for Labor. Given the liberals' opposition a conscience vote has no chance of passing.

Given that of the demographics this is a strong Green's issue, with a majority of Labor's borderline voters against it. (from what I have read), and a Labor / Greens bloc vote would pass the resolution and have labor shed votes to the greens and libs.

Considering that labor is already lingering in the death zone with respect to primary votes, this is not the time for courageous decisions.

As for the Greens this is a win win situation, they are seen as taking the initiative and stand to gain the like minded labor voters, whilst the more conservative blue collar workers who are labor's base (and who would never vote green) are likely to defect to the libs. If Labor in the future is so crippled it can never govern without the greens, the greens are laughing all the way to the bank.

This is a wedge of epic proportions, and all labor can do is spin and weave like a prize fighter after a few too many blows.

"the benefits are likely to last a lifetime and benefit future partners and offspring"

Personally I believe that such a dramatic change could only occur as a result of the personal touch and example of the particular teacher, rather than by the course-material. Sadly though, I was not able to download that document in order to find out more about that teacher.

But let us assume for now that it is indeed the course-material which does the magic. Let us further assume that one needs to be of a certain age (not too young nor too old) in order to receive the full benefits of this ethics-course - this raises a serious ethical dilemma:

Should a student from the ethics-study group tell students from the control-group about what they studied in ethics-class?

If s/he does, then the trial would fail, indicating no difference, thus the project will be dropped.
It s/he doesn't, then the control-group students, along with their partners and offspring, would miss on a lifetime benefit.