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The Rainbow Reporters new show, Freshly Doug, broadcasts live every Thursday 9-noon AEST in Melbourne Australia on 94.9 FM, streaming via the web at joy.org.au.

Melbourne Victoria discrimination equal marriage equal rights - Rainbow Reporter

Rainbow Report on Community

April 9th 2009 01:55
Pride Flag Manchester

Our topic on the Rainbow Report tonight is community – what exactly is this thing we call ‘the gay and lesbian community? Does it really exist? And if it does, then what does it want?

Politicians say it’s divided, and doesn’t know what it wants. This is the excuse for the rather weak stance on same-sex relationship recognition in the Labor Partys draft national platform, which says nothing about marriage and is allegedly weak on civil unions.


This issue has given rise to a lot of sniping online, with activists divided over whether this is an issue worth fighting over.

However, rather than argue over what we want, surely it’s better to ask. A couple of researchers have set out to do just that.

Sharon Dane, a psychologist and researcher at the University of Queensland, is asking how we want mainstream society to recognise our relationships , and what different types of relationships we form.

While Dr Warwick Hosking of Victoria University is also interested in gay mens relationships. His survey is looking at the role of monogamy, what the rules or arrangements are set up or established within relationships, and do those arrangements affect safe sex practices?

Taken together these two surveys should shed some light on the workings of the GLBTI community and what we expect from the rest of society.

One of the collision points with the mainstream is where the gay community meets up with God. And one of the most difficult relationships we’ve had in recent years – and it’s not getting any better – is with the Roman Catholic Church.


Except in Brisbane, where Father Peter Kennedy has been welcoming same-sex couples and even the gay and lesbian choir at St Marys, until his archbishop threw him out. He’ll join us tonight to give us the latest.

And finally Kaye Sera will ponder just what community means as she peers beneath the bonnet.

That’s all on the Rainbow Report Thursday April 9, 7-8pm AEST. Join in on (03) 9699 2949, text 0427 JOY 949 or email onair@joy.org.au.

"When the Pope marries her son to his boyfriend in St Peters, Rome, we'll know we're getting somewhere."
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Education Minister Backs Gay Marriage

August 4th 2008 00:25
Bronwyn Pike
Bronwyn didn't pike it


The numbers may have been down – only about 300 turned out for this year’s Melbourne Equal Love Rally, well down on previous years – but two facts made it a memorable occasion.

The first was the large number of young people taking part. We frequently hear complaints that marriage is a side issue and a waste of time, and anyway the younger generation don’t want it.

But for the first time the rally was composed mainly of young people – the older generation stayed indoors, no doubt put off by the gloomy weather.

I spoke to quite a few people who have been in previous years, and they gave various reasons for not attending – not interested in marrying, no point now the Rudd government is already moving on equality, ‘Oh, that’s today, is at?”, and, “I’m off to church.” Well, it was a Sunday.

So I asked a few of the people at the rally – which seemed to be well supplied with people who called me ‘comrade’ – why they were there.

Some, predictably, want to get married. The comrades, equally predictably, said they were not in favour of participating in an oppressive anachronistic hetero-normative institution themselves, but equality demands all should have access to it if they want it (and much more in the same vein). Remembering my student days, it’s a fair bet the latter will be the one’s who end up selling life assurance and/or herbal slimming products to pay for their McMansion in the suburbs.

Now in it’s fourth year, the event has lost the passionate anger generated not so much by John Howards commando raid on the marriage act as by Labors betrayal in support of it.

And the sea of red balloons on Parliament steps which represented its high-water mark has now been replaced by a drably dressed group of the incurably activist.

In fact, the whole (much shortened) event has become as ritualistic as the ceremony to which it seeks to gain access.

So the second remarkable fact didn’t initially register when State Education Minister Bronwyn Pike’s voice drifted across the crowd, announcing, "I support same-sex marriage, I have for many, many years. I believe that a civilised society is a society that is inclusive and is a society that affords the same human rights, the same access to justice, the same equality under the law for every single one of its citizens.”

It was Bronwyn Pike who engineered the pledge with which Labor went to the last election, to donate $250k to GLBTI radio station Joy 94.9 to fund its re-equipment and the recent move to proper premises. The mothers of gay sons tend to understand these things.

To hear a senior Labor politician break ranks with the hitherto rock-solid party line and endorse gay marriage leads one to hope some of her federal colleagues may be emboldened to follow suit.

After all, polls show around 57% of Australians support gay marriage, a higher percentage than in many other countries at the time they introduced gay marriage.

Activist John Klopprogge said, "We know that a huge number of Labor parliamentarians, state and federal, support marriage equality. It will only be matter of time before more come out for equality.”
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