Foxy,

I think Robert has covered something reasonably well and that is a nutshell summary of the reasons put forward in favour of it.

- "The emotional issues associated with being denied the right to marry." Presumably this includes the feeling of missing out on something generally but also wanting to adopt children but not being in a union recognised as stable at law and thus appearing a less suitable candidate for adoption.

- "The practical issues with not having legal recognition as a spouse. I gather that can be quite significant when dealing with serious health issues. Spouse's and next of kin have rights that others don't. I suspect that it would also complicate issues around time of death and at other times when the status of spouse is significant." I'd suggest that practical would include financial. For example tax benefits and other financial benefits provided to those raising children.

Runner,

Granted but would you agree that both homosexuals and paedophiles usually have difficulty changing?

Wizo,

I didn't know interracial marriages were illegal. What year did they legalise interracial marriages in Australia?

All,

This discussion has been reasonably tame for a mix of homosexual activists (& CJ who might as well be for the current topic) and Christian fundamentalists and other extremists. Are people in here taming down. And where is Boazy?

Shouldn't the civil rights recognised by our law, be the same for all Australians? Not to do so creates a hateful legal caste system that breaches our commitment to United Nations conventions on Human Rights.

I cannot see how the sky will fall in if I married my gay partner of 5 years. Will the sight of our gold rings offend you?

Granted, homophobe bigots do see divine retribution in all manner of contraventions of 'the (official) word of God'. However, are we to let them bully lawmakers to prohibit gay partnerships?

Our secular laws has been too slow in catching up with the enlightened views of the majority of Australians and the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission.

A science based approach reveals that 'the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, it is queerer than we can suppose'. (Evolutionary biologist, J.B. Haldane.)

It's therefore time to reject the rigid views from religious leaders with fundamentalist delusions. They have controlled secular law for too long with their veiled threats of 'consequences' for law reformers.

I think the reason why the thread isn't so white hot is that those of us with common sense know which way the wind is blowing, so the hysterical cries from the conservatives are rather hard to take seriously.
For all the 'it's perverted!' or 'it's unnatural' they can't come up with any decent reasons why gay people shouldn't be allowed the same rights.
I mean, the old 'it's perverted!' argument isn't exactly a concise argument now is it? As another poster pointed out, the same has been said of interracial marriages. Heck, I'd be pretty confident in saying it was the conservative christians who would have been most strenuous in opposing equal rights for women, but now all but the most hardcore fundamentalists realise that there's no good reason to deny women equal rights to men.

Sometimes they trot out the old 'but it's unhealthy!' chestnut, and to that I say, no, unprotected sex, be it heterosexual or homosexual is dangerous, though when partners are both healthy then where is the harm? At least there's no risk of accidental pregnancy, or the abortions so dreaded by some christians.
As for studies claiming psychological effects are harmful to them - I'd say that if this is your actual reason opposing same-sex civil unions then you've just shot yourself in the foot - because denying them that right can only be more psychologically damaging.
When you accept that people can't change their sexuality, then it's pretty clear this is the only logical answer here, though I suspect many of the old fashioned conservatives harbor a secret suspicion that gay people are just 'experimenting' or getting up to mischief as those wascally youth of today are apt to do.

As for the notion that it's all about procreation, well, unless you're denying marriage to barren couples and those that don't plan to have children, it just doesn't stack up.

There are no good reasons to deny homosexuals the right for a same-sex civil union.

Should gay partnerships be recognised legally?
Well why not the major Firms of Solicitors and other professionals enter into this form of contractual agreement and its legally done under the Qld Partnership Act and registered with the State.
There is nothing stopping any individuals for entering into this form of agreement and creating this type of entity for the purposes of making a profit or any other reason.
If there were not same sex couples a valid reason could also be for the purposes of having children and creating a family and the Marriage contract is another recognised way of doing the same but the Marriage contract does not apply to the same sex couples, our Commonwealth Parliament has not provided for that in the legislation.

Posted by Jack the Lad: "It's just unnatural. Once this is allowed, what next? Pressure groups lobbying to legalise bestiality? Pedophilia? Give an inch and they'll want a mile."

Just out of interest, give who an inch?

JACK...you are completely WRONG!

Now that I've got your attention :) you said this.

>>"It's just unnatural. Once this is allowed, what next? Pressure groups lobbying to legalise bestiality? Pedophilia? Give an inch and they'll want a mile."<<

The only thing incorrect in your post was the tense "they'LL" THEY WILL..... its not future..its NOW.. .they already want Men boy sex. (Nambla) watch for pressure on the age of consent, and all manner of educational novelty which tries to defend the indefensible, moralize on the immoral, and drag down those who stand for a true morality in society and seek to alienate and marginalize them.... finally it will be the gulag. "Mental disease of religious faith".. .

Morgan views religious faith that way, I guess if ur not a Christian, they will still findd some way to classify you as 'deviant/deluded/in error/troublemaker/bigoted/brain damaged etc etc.. any excuse to remove you from public involvement.