Quote: Equal opportunity for gay couples in permanent care orders (close to but not the same as adoption rights), surrogacy and IVF technology also seems to confirm this right. It is contradictory that one right is recognised and not the other.

Here's another right which is breached when homosexual couples "parent" a child. A child cannot have two mothers or two fathers - his or her parents comprise a male and a female.

U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 7
1. The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the RIGHT TO KNOW AND BE CARED FOR BY HIS OR HER PARENTS

The Government should no longer provide for the registration of marriages between heterosexual couples and should not register same sex marriages . If this is done , same sex couples will no longer suffer discrimination in this respect .

Couples who wish to have a mariage ceremony will be able to be married in a church ceremony , provided that they can find a church which is prepared to celebrate the marriage . Otherwise , they or heterosexual couples can arrange their own ceremony with a celebrant but the ceremony will not be registered by the government . Photographs of the ceremony can still be taken and hung on the wall , rice can be thrown and all the other paraphernalia of marriage can still be observed . Celebrants need no longer be registered .

There is already legislation which provides for custody of children , including ex - nuptial children , and for maintenance and settlement of property . That legislation should be retained .
Rights of same sex partners to inherit property and receive superannuation and other financial benefits can be protected through legislation , without the need for a marriage certificate .

Given that a very high percentage of heterosexual marriages end in divorce and that there is no longer any stigma attached to ex - nuptial children , there is no longer any need for government recognition of marriage .

Why do you think any of this is your business, John Murphy?

Marriage is a private matter and ought to be a no-go area for the government. Do and think what you like for yourself, but leave other people to do the same.

Lord, how confusing this author's name is! I immediately thought it must have been by that idiot NSW backbencher of the same name defending his ridiculous statements a few days ago. The same man, I'd like to remind everyone, that complained on the floor of Parliament that his wife's meal in the Parliament House cafeteria was too small! How lucky we are all to have such wonderful politicians, who are so in touch with the real world.

Anyway, great article, John.

Loveday - venting your outrage at same sex couples who have the temerity to want to raise children is quite hysterical. Many straight couples who have to use donor materials to conceive have gone to some lengths to make sure their children don't know that their biological inputs come from elsewhere. Are you as outraged about that, I wonder? At least same-sex couples have to come clean with their kids about where they come from!

So spare me. Disguising your homophobia as 'will someone please think of the children?' is so 1990's.

I'm on complete agreement with jaylex and DavidL. There is no reason for either the government or the church(es) to interfere with the private relationships between people. Do people really think that it is the laws which guide society and not vice versa? People will continue to live exactly how they are living now, just without the discrimination that currently exists due to these outdated laws.

Marriage is a publicly declared and legal agreement between a man and a woman to engage in sex to the exclusion of all others for the purpose of raising a family. This has to be a legal and registered agreement to avoid disputes in custody and genetic lineage. It is therefore a Government registration that would stand up to scientific and legal evidence to prove parentage.

Marriage therefore is only relavent as it applies to the raising of children. Try doing your family tree or genetic heritage without proper registered genetic lineage.

The term marriage referrs to the union of the male sperm with a female ovum to produce another person in their image. Unless that occurrs it is not marriage in the scientific meaning of the term "to join together things of different substance. The religious term means just that "the two become one flesh" it is a complementary union of different genger to produce one flesh. Two males or two females engaging in sex will never produce another in their likness and it a social lie and deception to so pretend!