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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 2004)
lune 18.2004 * just C ontinued from P age 2 1 Somali Cerise, spokeswoman for the queer lobby group Equal Rights Network. “Howard is using AUSTRALIA equality as a political football to create a crisis he government of Australian Prime Minister where one does not exist.” John Howard plans to insert the words “man” T he group welcomed the proposed changes and “woman” into the Marriage Act to keep from to superannuation (pension) legislation, calling having to recognize the unions of same-sex couples them “long overdue.” “It is a case of give with one hand and take who get hitched abroad. Three Australian same- away with the other,” Equal Rights Network’s sex couples who married in Canada have tiled with the Family Court for recognition of their unions. Matthew Loader said. “Tire fact that they have “1 realize in public life what you do some- i suddenly decided to act upon superannuation times offends some people,” now, just before a federal election, seems opportunistic. There has Howard said. “It’s not designed been...legislation in Parliament to do that. But 1 equally don’t supported by Labor, Democrats apologize for putting to the law and the Greens since 1998 on this the simple proposition that a issue, and the Howard govern marriage is a union between a ment has refused to act.” man and a woman, hopefully for life. T hat doesn’t in any way Leading activist Rodney prevent people having same-sex Croome of the Tasmanian Gay relationships. It doesn’t express and Lesbian Rights Group said a view on whether they should the government may have bun have same-sex relationships.” dled superannuation reform with the anti-gay measures to increase T h e legislation, to be intro the likelihood the latter will duced in Parliament by A ttor pass. “T h e fact that the govern ney General Philip Ruddock, ment has had many opportuni also will prohibit gays from ties to support this reform since adopting children from over seas. A t the same time, it will Aussie activist Somali Cerise 1996 and has knocked it back expand gay rights by allowing a accused Prime M inister John every time strongly suggests that same-sex partner to inherit his Howard of “using equality as its current superannuation re form proposal is about sweeten or her partner’s retirement pen a political football” sion without paying the 30 per ing a legislative agenda which is cent tax that applies to any beneficiary other otherwise bitterly sour with prejudice.” J H than a spouse, de facto spouse or child. “T h e Howard government is clearly using Compiled by R ex WOCKNER, who has reported homophobia to divert attention of the Aus for the gay press since 1985. He has a bachelor's tralian public from more serious issues that degree in journalism from Drake University and started his career as a radio reporter. should be concerning the government,” said T F rench M a yo r P erform s ‘I l l e g a l ’ G a y M a r r ia g e oël Mamère, a member of France’s Parlia ment and mayor o f the Bordeaux suburb of Bègles, conducted the marriage o f a gay couple June 5 despite the national government’s threats to prosecute him. Shop worker Bertrand Charpentier, 31, and nurse Stéphane C hapin, 34, arrived at Bègles City Hall in a Rolls-Royce to the cheers o f gay activists. About 200 riot police kept the gays and a small number of right-wing protesters from clashing. Reports described the scene as a “media frenzy.” “Your marriage is a first, and I hope it will become something normal,” Mamère told the couple. “1 think the fight I am leading is a political fight...for the defense o f an open society, to N combat all forms of discrimination including homophobia," he told reporters earlier. Shortly after the wedding, Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin launched a “sanctions pro cedure” against Mamère. He could he suspended, fired or fined $1,840. Justice M inister Dominique Perhen im mediately declared that the couple’s marriage would be voided. If that happens, Charpentier and Chapin have promised an appeal to the European Court o f Human Rights. “If we have a message to give, it is: Be like us, be tolerant, love each other and pursue your vlreams to the end,” Charpentier told reporters after the wedding, according to Reuters. “W e are going to go and buy a house and get on with our lives." Prime M inister Jean-Pierre Raffarin also deruwneed the wedding. “T h e C ivil C ode does not allow or autho rize the marriage o f two people of the same sex,” he said. “Any elected official who does not respect the law in this respect, who does n o t respect th e C iv il C ode, lays him self or herself open to the punishments pro vided for by th e law.” fren ch gays have had access to Civil Solidarity Pacts since 1999, but they do not carry all the rights of matrimony. Full marriage is available to same- sex couples only in the Nether lands; Belgium; the Canadian provinces o f British Columbia, O ntario and Quebec; and tjy; U S. state of Massachusetts. -RW jrn m è; % Home of no matter what yo u r needs before, during and after yo u make yo u r purchase. 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