Doug PollardR. E. S. P. E. C. T.
June 2nd 2009 22:17
As the Labor Party prepares for its annual conference, it needs to grow beyond grudging tolerance for gays and lesbians towards a culture of celebration and respect.
This year marks 40 years since the Stonewall Riots, generally regarded as the moment when the fight for equal rights began. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have acknowledged this and welcomed Pride Month in the US, issuing pro-gay rights proclamations.
40 years ago it was unthinkable that the President of the United States would ever issue an official proclamation acknowledging and honouring the contribution of gays and lesbians to society.
Of course, words are cheap, and need to be backed with actions. Bill Clinton issued proclamations too, and look what that got us.
Some Australian activists compare Obamas ‘mere’ rhetoric unfavourably with the real achievements of the Rudd government. And it’s true that Obama has yet to ‘put his money where his mouth is’.
But changing the law is only half the story. In parallel with legislative changes, the government also needs to work on changing the publics mind. This is not a job our small, timid and under-resourced gay lobby can undertake.
To turn the cliché around, the Rudd government needs to ‘put its mouth where its money is’. Leaders need to talk the talk as well as walk the walk. There’s a shocking lack of overt, vocal respect and support for our community from this government, and in particular the Prime Minister.
As Senator for New York, Hilary Clinton marched in gay pride parades. I have yet to spot Julia Gillard at Melbourne Pride, or Kevin Rudd at Mardi Gras. I have yet to hear a speech from the PM in which he expresses his pride in the contribution the LGBT community has made and continues to make to the nation, as Obama does.
Rudd seems barely able to articulate the word ‘gay’ at all, let alone praise us. We are told we must be grateful for the steps his government has taken. Quite why anyone should be expected to tug their forelock and say thank you for being given some part of what is theirs by right is beyond me. Rudd needs to drop this arrogant, mean and grudging attitude.
For example, when Wayne Swann announced plans to raise the pension age for everyone, he built in an eight year transition period. But when the government introduced changes to pensions and benefits for same-sex couples, they gave us a mere eight months to get used to it. Same-sex couples paid taxes as two single people all their working lives, yet suddenly had their income cut to a couple pension.
When we complained, we were told, in effect, “You asked for equality, this is it, get used to it.” It’s not equality. It’s a shocking lack of respect, not to mention forethought, or care. It's also dog-whistling quite as bad as anything Howard ever did.
The Australian public are quick to pick up on, and imitate, this grudging, resentful attitude. Rudd, who should be teaching the public to respect us by his example, instead sends the opposite message.
President Obama praises the work of the gay community in improving the rights of LGBT Americans. Kevin Rudd takes the credit for improving the lot of LGBT Australians for himself.
President Obama acknowledges there is still much to be done, and outlines some of the pressing issues. Kevin Rudd says, in effect, shut up and be grateful for what you’re given.
That’s like a debtor paying half of what he owes and then expecting fulsome thanks. The proper response is, “That’s all very well, but it's overdue, and where’s the rest?”
President Obama welcomes the LGBT community as partners in the process of bringing “the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans” and advancing gay rights abroad.
He says, “As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit.
“During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
That level of respect and engagement from the highest levels of government is entirely lacking here. Pro-active initiatives coming from Canberra are non-existent. Everything is reactive, minimal, and minus the necessary government ‘sell’ to the community at large.
Where, for example, is the Australian equivalent of the UKs Gay History Month, run by the Education Department? Where are the TV ads trumpeting the government’s progress towards fairness and equality for same-sex couples, explaining why they are essential and ongoing, and should be supported by all Australians?
They should be proud of their progress towards LGBT equality. Instead we get embarrassed mumbles from the PM about, “Well, we think marriage is between one man and one woman,” without any further explanation.
Where we should be getting clear and ringing endorsements from Mr Rudd, telling the world that gays and lesbians make excellent parents, with all credible research showing there is no detriment to the children, we get support for gay adoption only as a last resort, if all the childs other relatives are dead.
This grudging, insulting tolerance has to end, and be replaced by an open, positive and pro-active stance. The government needs to move from its current posture of merely tolerating us, to one in which it respects and celebrates us. We deserve nothing less.
Canberra often complains that they have difficulty dealing with us because we don’t have one national organisation to represent us. But I reckon the shoe is on the other foot. We have problems dealing with Canberra because our various diverse organisations don’t have one Ministry to deal with.
The government should establish a Ministry of LGBT Affairs at the next reshuffle as a sign of their ongoing commitment to the establishment and maintenance of full LGBT equality.
The Labor Party needs to face down its own internal devils and adopt a clear policy of full LBGT equality at its upcoming conference, including same-sex marriage. No apartheid-style separate laws for separate communities.
As President Obama says, much remains to be done. It is time the Australian government showed some enthusiasm for doing it.
This year marks 40 years since the Stonewall Riots, generally regarded as the moment when the fight for equal rights began. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have acknowledged this and welcomed Pride Month in the US, issuing pro-gay rights proclamations.
40 years ago it was unthinkable that the President of the United States would ever issue an official proclamation acknowledging and honouring the contribution of gays and lesbians to society.
Of course, words are cheap, and need to be backed with actions. Bill Clinton issued proclamations too, and look what that got us.
Some Australian activists compare Obamas ‘mere’ rhetoric unfavourably with the real achievements of the Rudd government. And it’s true that Obama has yet to ‘put his money where his mouth is’.
But changing the law is only half the story. In parallel with legislative changes, the government also needs to work on changing the publics mind. This is not a job our small, timid and under-resourced gay lobby can undertake.
To turn the cliché around, the Rudd government needs to ‘put its mouth where its money is’. Leaders need to talk the talk as well as walk the walk. There’s a shocking lack of overt, vocal respect and support for our community from this government, and in particular the Prime Minister.
As Senator for New York, Hilary Clinton marched in gay pride parades. I have yet to spot Julia Gillard at Melbourne Pride, or Kevin Rudd at Mardi Gras. I have yet to hear a speech from the PM in which he expresses his pride in the contribution the LGBT community has made and continues to make to the nation, as Obama does.
Rudd seems barely able to articulate the word ‘gay’ at all, let alone praise us. We are told we must be grateful for the steps his government has taken. Quite why anyone should be expected to tug their forelock and say thank you for being given some part of what is theirs by right is beyond me. Rudd needs to drop this arrogant, mean and grudging attitude.
For example, when Wayne Swann announced plans to raise the pension age for everyone, he built in an eight year transition period. But when the government introduced changes to pensions and benefits for same-sex couples, they gave us a mere eight months to get used to it. Same-sex couples paid taxes as two single people all their working lives, yet suddenly had their income cut to a couple pension.
When we complained, we were told, in effect, “You asked for equality, this is it, get used to it.” It’s not equality. It’s a shocking lack of respect, not to mention forethought, or care. It's also dog-whistling quite as bad as anything Howard ever did.
The Australian public are quick to pick up on, and imitate, this grudging, resentful attitude. Rudd, who should be teaching the public to respect us by his example, instead sends the opposite message.
President Obama praises the work of the gay community in improving the rights of LGBT Americans. Kevin Rudd takes the credit for improving the lot of LGBT Australians for himself.
President Obama acknowledges there is still much to be done, and outlines some of the pressing issues. Kevin Rudd says, in effect, shut up and be grateful for what you’re given.
That’s like a debtor paying half of what he owes and then expecting fulsome thanks. The proper response is, “That’s all very well, but it's overdue, and where’s the rest?”
President Obama welcomes the LGBT community as partners in the process of bringing “the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans” and advancing gay rights abroad.
He says, “As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit.
“During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
That level of respect and engagement from the highest levels of government is entirely lacking here. Pro-active initiatives coming from Canberra are non-existent. Everything is reactive, minimal, and minus the necessary government ‘sell’ to the community at large.
Where, for example, is the Australian equivalent of the UKs Gay History Month, run by the Education Department? Where are the TV ads trumpeting the government’s progress towards fairness and equality for same-sex couples, explaining why they are essential and ongoing, and should be supported by all Australians?
They should be proud of their progress towards LGBT equality. Instead we get embarrassed mumbles from the PM about, “Well, we think marriage is between one man and one woman,” without any further explanation.
Where we should be getting clear and ringing endorsements from Mr Rudd, telling the world that gays and lesbians make excellent parents, with all credible research showing there is no detriment to the children, we get support for gay adoption only as a last resort, if all the childs other relatives are dead.
This grudging, insulting tolerance has to end, and be replaced by an open, positive and pro-active stance. The government needs to move from its current posture of merely tolerating us, to one in which it respects and celebrates us. We deserve nothing less.
Canberra often complains that they have difficulty dealing with us because we don’t have one national organisation to represent us. But I reckon the shoe is on the other foot. We have problems dealing with Canberra because our various diverse organisations don’t have one Ministry to deal with.
The government should establish a Ministry of LGBT Affairs at the next reshuffle as a sign of their ongoing commitment to the establishment and maintenance of full LGBT equality.
The Labor Party needs to face down its own internal devils and adopt a clear policy of full LBGT equality at its upcoming conference, including same-sex marriage. No apartheid-style separate laws for separate communities.
As President Obama says, much remains to be done. It is time the Australian government showed some enthusiasm for doing it.
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