Fortunately at least, in Senator Greig's home state, we won't see an attempt for a while to criminalise young gay men's sexual activity and discriminate against gay families thanks to the defeat of Colin Barnett's mob. It will be up to WA gays to make sure the Gallop Government doesn't backslide.

Senator Greig could have added aged care to his list. The process followed by Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACATs), which assess the level of aged care a client needs, doesn't allow for recognition of same-sex partners. Same-sex couples in residential aged care are treated like dirt. The partner of a gay man or lesbian in residential aged care has difficulty accessing information and obtaining the rights that opposite sex partners have as a matter of course.

Aged care is a bastion of homophobia - partly thanks to service providers being large church organisations for the most part. However, these issues are starting to be addressed. Recently, I went to a NSW Anti-Discrimination Board forum on the issues facing older gays. Research was presented by Dr Jo Harrison (University of Adelaide) regarding what's happening in America. Things are slowly starting to move over there with respect to ageing issues. But it is up to us here to make sure gay men and lesbians obtain absolute equality in all aspects of our lives - including when we get older.

Hi DavidJS,

Your comments are true and expand on the issues raised by Brian Greig. But he did mention Aged Care in his article, it's in the sixth last paragraph.

Cheers,
Kelpie
PERTH

Oh, he did too! How embarrassing! At any rate, I thought I'd expand on the issues. I work for a lobby group for older people and pensioners and was invited to the ADB forum in that capacity. It was a really interesting afternoon and I learned how backward aged care is for GLBTQ people.

I understand Senator Greig will relinquish his Senate seat at the changeover in July. If this is the case, I hope he continues to concentrate on gay law reform in his home state or even on a national level in some way or other. I am not an Australian Democrat but I will say we sorely need people of his capacity and integrity.

We need to be more discriminating in our use of language. A word can now mean whatever we want it to mean.

We 'discriminate' to choose the 'best' car, food, house, partner etc. So discrimination is good if it gets a better result and bad if it does not give give good results? Or will we redefine 'good'?

Percy,

If you believe that legal and financial discrimination targeted at gay and lesbian people, same-sex couples and their children is "acceptable" or "good" - then you should just come right out and say it, rather than being obtuse.

Kelpie
PERTH

Senator Greig is absolutely correct in all he says. How can Ruddock, in all good conscience say what he has said when he must surely know full well that the Federal Government is not tolerant of gays, lesbians and their families. How can they be tolerant when they don't even recognise gay and lesbian couples and their families?