Rodney you said "My response is that I'm not equating his opposition to marriage equality to racism". Mate that is exactly what you did!

Marriage is between a man and a woman, so whatever relationship same sex couples may form, it is not marriage.

Their activists want to hijack the word, as is their habit, but it is not available. They need to work out a word for this previously unrecognised, and socially unacknowledged relationship. It is not marriage.

When they have a word for it, they may set about seeking recognition of it.

@Leo Lane:"Marriage is between a man and a woman..."

Or between a man and up to four women in some Islamic states. Or between a man and a dozen women under the original rules of Mormonism. Or one woman and several men in some tribal cultures. Your own personal church can define 'marriage' any way it likes, but once it's handed the control and registration of marriage over to the state, then it's lost any power to dictate what 'marriage' really is. It's up to the electors now -- and the electors are showing a strong preference for extending the term to include gay partnerships. Like 'unemployment' or 'dependents' or 'minors', 'marriage' can be whatever the state chooses to define it as. And a truly democratic state chooses in accordance with the wishes of the majority.

Perhaps a better term for such unions than 'marriage' - or even 'civil union' - could be 'civil conjuncture', with a clear differentiation between such forms of union and 'marriage'/'civil union' with their identification under Australian law of a union between one man and one woman.

Let's move on, there are real issues to worry about these days.

Joe

Come off the highfalutin garbage Roddy, we didn't come down in the last shower.

We know damn well it is nothing to do with freedom, but all about money.

You want to call whatever you do marriage to gain access to the other blokes super & property. You also want the other privileges that go with real marriage.

No one, including me gives a damn what you do, but you can't shove your lifestyle into a tradition of centuries.

Go away & call your activities what ever you like, but don't try to call it marriage, because if you can't breed naturally in your relationship, marriage it aint.

I had difficulty deciding Rodney position until he reached his final conclusion.
There are literal millions around the world, who just don't get to decide what their sexual orientation is going to be!
Only nature makes that choice!
Denying this endlessly discriminated group the freedom to chose happiness, is not a right we or the government has, nor incredibly ignorant church elders, or those who just get off marginalizing a minority?
We can't decide for the Gay community any more than we can decide for left handers, or those born with club feet, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome or any other difference from the so-called norm.
Would we forbid Jesus to marry one of his Apostles, Judas perhaps?
Given his gentle kind nature and his patent predilection for almost exclusive male company, would, in today's extremely judgmental world, probably label him as Gay?
Marriage is always between a man and a woman. Maybe?
But the holy estate only goes back a few hundred years. Before then, the union was just something two people agreed on or had sanctioned by a civil union.
Just like the one where the Master, allegedly turn water into wine for the wedding guests?
Nobody has a choice over their sexual orientation, or who they fall in love with?
An outcome that from time to time, really does throw in some odd couples?
Very tall woman, very short man, or very strong, robust and powerful woman, thin weedy reed of a man?
Should we ban odd couples? Or define union between the mentally challenged as something less, because it doesn't suit an imposed, by religion, common ideal!
Look if somewhere around 80% of the voting populace are cool with this change, why don't we simply more on, or, failing that choice, we could have a referendum, that would settle this issue once and for all!
Marriage is a fairly recent phenomena, but love between partners is as old as time itself.
Let the people decide, rather than intolerant rabid religious ranters, granting themselves a self declared right, to stand in the creator's shoes!
Rhrosty.