Un-Australian - Gay Marriage Bill Defeated.........

A Labor MP's bill to legalise same-sex marriage has been overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Representatives.
The result of the vote was 42-98.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott sat on the same side of the chamber to vote against the private bill, proposed by Labor backbencher Stephen Jones.
Labor allowed its members a conscience vote on the issue - meaning they did not have to all vote in the same way - but the coalition did not.

The government's front bench was split on the vote, with Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan and cabinet minister Chris Bowen voting with the coalition to oppose the bill.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd also voted to defeat the legislation.
Ministers who voted for the bill included Peter Garrett, Nicola Roxon, Jenny Macklin, Anthony Albanese, Greg Combet, Tanya Plibersek, Kate Ellis, Bill Shorten, and Gary Gray.

Independent MP Tony Windsor voted against the bill while Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie voted for it.  Earlier, Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt tried to stop the parliament taking the vote.
He said there should be no decision on the matter until coalition members were given a conscience vote.

"I fear that we are about to witness a very cynical move to put this vote quickly in an attempt to clear it off the political agenda," he told parliament.

A failed vote on Wednesday would not deter the Greens from continuing attempts to remove discrimination from the Marriage Act.

Leader of the House Anthony Albanese rejected the suggestion the vote was somehow a surprise to members.  He said that opposing even having a vote did nothing to advance the cause.
The House of Representatives is also considering another bill to legalise same sex marriage, sponsored by Greens MP Adam Bandt and independent Andrew Wilkie.


A sad day in Australia....... the so called "Lucky Country" ..... I don't feel very lucky today...........

Shalom

D
xox

Read more »

....2 Un-Australian.......Oz Army's Gay Hate Campaign....

Gay-hate campaign in army left unpunished

Richard Baker, Nick Mckenzie

April 13, 2011

The Facebook page.

THE Australian Defence Force has failed to fully investigate and punish dozens of serving members linked to an online social media campaign that publicly named and vilified homosexual personnel.

ADF leaders including army chief Ken Gillespie and former defence minister John Faulkner are aware of a complaint made in August last year about the anti-gay Facebook page.

Eight months later, the investigation into the page and dozens of ADF personnel who signed on as "friends" has been shelved and none of the serving members associated with the campaign have been disciplined.

Illustration: Ron Tandberg

One of those publicly targeted by the Facebook page, created under the pseudonym "Steve Austin" and featuring the army insignia, was Paul Morgan, an army psychologist who has served in Iraq.

Major Morgan and four other ADF personnel, including two special forces soldiers, were named on the Facebook page as having made a "filthy lifestyle decision".

"This page has been created to inform current and past serving members of the ADF who is biting the pillow," the page said. "I have had other emails from ADF members reporting their suspicions, [but] only confirmed cases of homosexuality will be displayed on this page."

Major Paul Morgan was outed on a homophobic Facebook page designed to expose gay members of the defence force. Photo: Supplied

The page allegedly had links to violent and pornographic videos on YouTube depicting homosexuals being executed superimposed over images of Gallipoli and flag-draped coffins of dead Australian troops.

At least one YouTube clip that attacks the sexuality of a serving army officer remains online.

Major Morgan, who has been commended for his work with soldiers affected by the death in 2006 of Private Jake Kovco, said he was unable to discuss the gay hate campaign from within army ranks. The ADF has strict rules on personnel speaking to the media.

However, Major Morgan expressed dismay about his case. "It is very hard being gay in this organisation," he said. "I have sacrificed my whole adult life to the army and the inaction in this case is soul-destroying."

The revelations come days after a series of inquiries were launched into attitudes and behaviour in the armed forces, and a police probe of the Australian Defence Force Academy scandal in which a female cadet was secretly filmed having sex with another student.

It is also just weeks since it was revealed that Australian soldiers in Afghanistan had posted racist slurs on Facebook referring to Afghans as ''sand niggaz'' and ''dune coons'', and joking about running them over.

The Age understands the ADF investigation into the anti-gay Facebook campaign was stalled by inadequate resourcing, with no one

assigned to the job at various stages over the past eight months. A Defence spokeswoman told The Age in a statement: ''In August 2010, the anti-gay social media activities were reported and the ADF Investigative Service was notified.

''During ADFIS inquiries it was reported that one of the members targeted on the website made a formal complaint to NSW Police. This matter is still the subject of ongoing investigation and it is inappropriate to comment further at this time.'' Defence Minister Steven Smith declined to comment.

Friends of Major Morgan have told The Age that he has received death threats and other forms of intimidation since ADF leaders and the government were notified of the anti-gay campaign. One friend said he had been warned by the ADF that he was not to approach the Human Rights Commission about the campaign.

Major Morgan was also advised not to seek external legal advice or speak to the media, a close friend said.

The Defence spokeswoman said the ''anti-gay social media activities … does not reflect Defence's official position, and is not representative of the behaviour and thoughts of the majority of Defence personnel''.

''The attitudes and behaviours described are contrary to everything that the Australian Defence Force stands for and has achieved in welcoming and supporting diversity across the organisation,'' she said.

She stressed that Defence had strict policies on the use of social media, and clear policies for handling breaches resulting in ''unacceptable behaviour''.

The spokeswoman said the ADF had allowed gay and lesbian members to serve openly since 1992, and in 2009 had acted to ensure that couples in same-sex interdependent relationships were entitled to the same benefits as married couples.

***article reprinted from www.brisbanetimes.com.au***
.

Read more »