Dear Joe,

Some evidence please.

From what I gather - unless you're married
nobody gets anything. Even if you're in
hospital your partner is not allowed to
be given any medical information about you
unless you're married. Only immediate family
members are allowed to be given this
information.
Talk about equality?

Dearest Foxy,

Well, yes, I suppose that's what being married means. My point is that, once the marriage gate has been kicked in, the next paling in the fence will be aspects of marriage like widow's pensions and probably other aspects that I'm not aware enough of.

After all, how significant is marriage ? One can bequeath one's worldly goods to whomever one likes already, married or not, and that includes one's super, I suppose.

Of course, one fly in the ointment could be that, once homosexuals are recognised as married, this might extend to 'de facto homosexual couples' as well, i.e. homosexuals who have been living together for more than six months or whatever, whether they like it or not, would be considered as 'married' as heterosexual couples - and subject to all the hassles of divorce as a consequence.

'Be careful of what you wish for' - should be on the back of every pro-marriage placard.

Love,

Joe

Dear Joe,

People want what they want - hetero or gay.
Gays are simply asking for the same things
that hetero's already have and they want
to be given the same rights that the rest of us have
is all and not be told who they can or can't marry.

By the way Google inheritance rights for gays. There are rules
that have to be obeyed. It's not that simple - as you
suggest.

Anyway, I'm done here

Dearest, sweet Foxy,

Ah, so innocent, so trusting. So what terrible impositions are placed on homosexuals and homosexual couples now ? Apart from Muslim societies, where are they under threat in any way ? We don't chuck them off the top of buildings here.

For all anybody would know (or care) these days, they can live together as closely or whatever as if they are married, and nobody will care two hoots.

Oh, they can't adopt as easily as heterosexual couples ? It's not that easy for heteros either. There are complications with inheritance ? Make a will, and get your partner to make one, that should do it.

What else ? Ah yes, there's still things like entitlement to widow's pensions. That's the next paling.

Love,

Joe

It was the educated middle class elite, particularly those on the government payroll and enjoying the generous conditions of service and entitlements that go with management and executive jobs, who benefited hugely from the Hillard government's back-door rejigging of 'married' status through extension of the definition of de facto and inclusion of homosexual as de factos and as 'marrieds'.

For instance, a public bureaucrat gained the entitlement to take his/her de facto squeeze of the day with them under the spouse accompanying travel provisions that were originally framed to reduce the distress of long separation in days where travel was not so common.

To take another example, public bureaucrats were able to nominate the de facto (incl same sex) as the beneficiary of their superannuation.

Of course the lesser beings who did not enjoy those and other entitlements, for instance junior staff don't get the overseas postings and the opportunity to travel and cannot avail themselves of the benefits, all there was for them from Gillard's changes was the inconvenience and irritation of State interference in their private lives where they had previously been independent.

What rights and entitlements do gays already have? Fox and other spruikers for gay marriage are always silent on that, but the answer is that had PM Julia Gillard's nominated de facto been a woman she and they would have enjoyed exactly the same conditions and ultimately the same golden handshake, with travel super conditions and so on.

All of that comes at a cost to the taxpayer. Once there were far fewer snouts in the public trough.

What is noticeable in the marketing of gay marriage is that the voices of the large bulk of homosexuals -who unlike the middle class elite and the wealthy few, get no advantage from the proposal at all- are NOT heard. There are no talk fests for them on the ABC with endless opportunities to score free runs and with compere/interviewer assistance.

I wonder too what singles think of it, with their taxes going to all of those marrieds' entitlements and now there are so many of them.

Dear Joe,

Gays are first-class taxpayers but 2nd class citizens
according to the Human Rights Commission:

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/same-sex-same-entitlements-executive-summary