Respecting difference in
Australia has led the world in human rights in so many ways
Perhaps because some of our forebears suffered from early effects of the industrial revolution and found life so intolerable they were prepared to die for a better life for their children and others. Also as a penal colony our convict pioneers were desperate to be treated as human beings, rather than slaves or worse.
Women's rights are perhaps better understood by those women born before the 1970 in Australia. Blatant discrimination against women was still obvious. For example, a women getting married meant she had to resign from public service etc. Now the discrimination is less obvious - we talk about the "glass ceiling'.
Of course there have been "children born out of wedlock", "left-handed" people and a whole range of ways that our society has treated natural variations as a "threat". We have come to understand so much, but have some much more to go.
The question is an ethical/moral one about any individual human's behaviour affects those around them based upon human and civil rights and the whether an individual's or group's behaviour harms other living beings.
LGBTIQ people and their families pay taxes, work as doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, buy services from restaurants, theatres, shops, play a whole range of sports, become academics and radio/ tv presenters .. so it's time they were treated with equal respect and tolerance..
Australia has also led the world in civil celebrancy
Perhaps because some of our forebears suffered from early effects of the industrial revolution and found life so intolerable they were prepared to die for a better life for their children and others. Also as a penal colony our convict pioneers were desperate to be treated as human beings, rather than slaves or worse.
Women's rights are perhaps better understood by those women born before the 1970 in Australia. Blatant discrimination against women was still obvious. For example, a women getting married meant she had to resign from public service etc. Now the discrimination is less obvious - we talk about the "glass ceiling'.
Of course there have been "children born out of wedlock", "left-handed" people and a whole range of ways that our society has treated natural variations as a "threat". We have come to understand so much, but have some much more to go.
The question is an ethical/moral one about any individual human's behaviour affects those around them based upon human and civil rights and the whether an individual's or group's behaviour harms other living beings.
LGBTIQ people and their families pay taxes, work as doctors, nurses, ambulance staff, buy services from restaurants, theatres, shops, play a whole range of sports, become academics and radio/ tv presenters .. so it's time they were treated with equal respect and tolerance..
Australia has also led the world in civil celebrancy
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My professional association memberships
I am a member of a number of professional celebrant associations - first and foremost the Civil Celebrations Network (CCN) Inc for whom I am a delegate to CoCA the peak celebrant body in Australia. My memberships of others include the ACMCV, the AMC and the ICCA that are also CoCA associations as well as the AFCC. I am also part of a new group of civil celebrants called Equality for Celebrants. We are passionate civil celebrants want to work to have Independent civil marriage celebrants and their couples treated with equal respect and professionalism under the Marriage Act and all marriage celebrants and ceremonies held to account with some basic standards under civil law. |
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Here are links to the International College of Celebrancy Association of Alumni and Friends - ICCA submission to the Select Committee on the
The ICCA supported the CoCA submission and expanded some of the issues raised in the CoCA position as it related to review and updating of the Marriage Act 1961.
CoCA has taken a neutral stance on Marriage Equality but made it clear that independent civil celebrant's role is to provided civil marriage services unbiased by their personal religious or other beliefs. Besides this as you will see by the ICCA submission, Australia provides a very supportive stance for any religious couple to be married legally married at the same time as their religious wedding ceremony. Some countries are not so supportive.
I hope you are more informed about the complexity of the Australian Marriage Act as a result of reading this submission.
Rona Goold CMC
- ICCA - Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill and to
- ICCA - The Expert Panel on Religious Freedom
The ICCA supported the CoCA submission and expanded some of the issues raised in the CoCA position as it related to review and updating of the Marriage Act 1961.
CoCA has taken a neutral stance on Marriage Equality but made it clear that independent civil celebrant's role is to provided civil marriage services unbiased by their personal religious or other beliefs. Besides this as you will see by the ICCA submission, Australia provides a very supportive stance for any religious couple to be married legally married at the same time as their religious wedding ceremony. Some countries are not so supportive.
I hope you are more informed about the complexity of the Australian Marriage Act as a result of reading this submission.
Rona Goold CMC
