Holyshadow, you posed the question:

“I’m not sure there is enough evidence collated thus far to determine whether these unions psychologically damage children living in them or not.”

I hope the following links by reputable organizations might be helpful:
http://www.apa.org/pi/parent.html (from the American Psychological Association)
http://www.aclu.org/getequal/ffm/section1/1c7apa.pdf (American Psychiatric Association), and http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/109/2/341 (American Academy of Pediatrics).

Unfortunately some of the posters on this and similar threads have little interest in an evidence based approach to social or other questions. This makes any rational discussion next to impossible, although I’m often puzzled at how often the same names keep appearing on the homosexuality related threads, usually making comments about how distressing they find the whole issue to think about. Yet for some reason they can’t help themselves. Hmmmm.

Gadget, you asked:

"And where is all this anti-gay bullying anyway, accept [sic] in you own bent minds, and the * ?"

See: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=267#4824

Gadget I didn't realise that OnlineOpinion is a forum for homophobic conservatives. Although I suspect the editor and many of the participants are right wing I thought any voice was welcome. People with left wing sensibilities eventually decide to bite the bullet and pay for a subscription to New Matilda but before they do . . . .

Snout good point. Let me add that other example of hatefull bigotry which appeared on this forum not so long ago http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=156#3008

Neither is an example of the physical bashings reported by gays but both show the kind of willingness to hurt others expressed by some with delusions of a private line to god.

I'd certainly not like to have a bigot like that living in my neighbourhood, maybe the council could bring in some kind of community tollerance initiative that stopped those with that kind of attitude having somewhere to live http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=156#3611 .

R0bert

Leigh,

As you obviously feel you have nothing more to learn on this subject.

Snout is completely correct a lot of pple have little interest in 'evidence based ' research , so a logical and rational arguement is very difficult.

You say that it is no good 'dragging in ' what pple do in theyre bedrooms, but in this case that is exactly what pple object to.

This is not a side issue, not that anyone wants or to discuss it other than in its rightful context.

So you say its ok for couples of the opposite sex to practice this but not gay couples,..and you go further by saying that the practice of anal sex is awful fullstop, you have personal issueswhich maybe confusing you, quite apart from anything to do with gay issues.

Your not speaking from a fair and balanced perspective I believe.

Arjay I think your comments stem from ignorance.

Can you prove that gay couples have a passing parade of sexual partners? That they get any more 'diseases' that the average population?

That they expose the children in their care to inapropriate activities?
That they are less committed to their childrens health and wellbeing than anyone else?

How do flagrant and wild generalisations make what you say the truth.?Just because you say them and that you have never bothered to find out the fact from general 'gaybashing' statements.Because that what it is.
As Snout pointed out..pple are not really interested in fact, dont let the truth get in the way of your own niavity.

You can 'say' whatever you like , but unless you can back it up with proof, it becomes just talk based in ignorance.

And Leigh, if person is born gay or not is neither here nor there , if they feel that is who they are, than who is anyone else to say different.?

Gay pple have rights.

I am firmly in support of gay marriage.

I believe allowing gay marriages will decrease cries of 'unnatural' which are constantly flung at gay people (remember, not so long ago, it was 'unnatural' for women to wish to vote - society changes).

One of my good friends is a gay man, and I feel sorry for him - he feels rejected by his family, and is often depressed because he feels it is unlikely that he will ever have children (yes, men wish for children just as women do - we would not baulk at a strait man indicating a wish to have a child). This man would make a great father, and it is a loss for our soceity that it is unlikely to happen.

I feel gay marriage would not only give gay individuals a chance to make their love public and formal, but also give their families a chance to show their love and approval - that is part of what a wedding is about, two families coming together, demonstrating that they approve of the direction of the lives of their children. I think for many parents of gay children, it is a great sorrow that they can never look forward to their son or daughter's wedding.

I think Australians, en mass, are ready to accept gay marriage, although there may always be opponents. But there are always opponents to every policy, and the extreme negativity of a small group should not overwhelm the rightness of the idea.