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Same sex marriage
I recently wrote to the State MP for my district and asked him where he stood on the subject of same sex marriage. I told him I was not gay but I was transgendered and as such had a vested interest in the subject.
The reply came as a PDF file so I have typed out the text of the message.
Quote:Thanks for your email. There is no Bill before the State Parliament on this issue. There will be debate if introduced as the Marriage Act is the responsibility of the Federal Government and a State Bill may not be recognised.The Premier has formed a Committee to investigate the matter and report back to the Government.
We will wait for that report before getting too concerned about having to vote on the matter.
It was signed Daryl Maguire member for Wagga Wagga.
Hope this will encourage others to approach their local members and remind them that we exist.[/img]
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4 Replies
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Pamela, good on you for making the effort.
Can those of you who have ever contacted politicians please advise of how I find out who to write to about various issues. Politics is something I’ve always kept at arms length & have little knowledge of the processes.
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All you need is the details of your local member be that federal or state. Details of those members would be accessible online just look for the relevant parliament. There are two distinct houses upper and lower you will find representation for you in both houses. The government of the day is in the lower house if memory servers me correctly. Though the ministry is selected from both just to confuse the issue.
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While I was investigating the law in Australia regarding Transgendered people I came across this anomaly. Apparently if you are married when you undergo a sex change operation you cannot apply for a new birth certificate. So at the moment the same sex marriage debate is baseless for TG people. The only way to change your birth certificate is to get a divorce, so what they have done is said you can have a sex change and stay married, but you can’t change your legal sex.
Also you don’t have the same rights if you are not a Recognised Transgendered Person.
Quote:Who is a recognised transgender person?Under NSW anti-discrimination law, you are a recognised transgender person if ONE of the following applies to you:
you have a new birth certificate issued by the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry that states the gender you identify with; or
you have an amended birth certificate or an equivalent document known as an “interstate recognition certificate” issued by another Australian State or other Australian jurisdiction.You can only get a new birth certificate in NSW if ALL of the following apply to you:
your birth was originally registered in NSW;
you are over 18 (or your parent or guardian agrees if you are under 18 );
you have had sex reassignment (gender affirmation) surgery — any surgical alteration to your reproductive organs such as your womb or genital area; and
you are not currently married.What are my rights as a recognised transgender person?
If you are a recognised transgender person, you are legally recognised as your reassigned sex under NSW laws. If you are a female to male transgender person, people must treat you as man. If you are a male to female transgender person, people must treat you as a woman.
For example, if you are a male to female recognised transgender person, you generally have the right to be considered for a job that is for women only, and to receive a service for women only, for example to attend a women- only gym. (Women-only jobs and services may be allowed in specific circumstances under anti-discrimination law.)
You also have the right to be treated in the same way that all other women are treated. You must not be treated differently or unfairly just because you are transgender.
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What are my rights if I am not a recognised transgender person?If you are not a recognised transgender person, you can’t legally force people to treat you as your preferred gender, but they must still treat you fairly.
For example, if you were born male but your identified gender is female, you generally can’t force an employer to give you a job that is for women only. And you may not be able to insist on receiving a service aimed at women only (for example a women’s refuge or a women-only gym).
However, in general, where services and jobs are open to both genders, you must not be treated differently or unfairly just because you’re transgender.
Back to contentsSo I am wondering if this is why we aren’t a large factor in the same sex marriage debate.
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I wandered into a web site about Same sex marriage, and really we are behind the eight ball here. A lot of the comments from the politicians involved were about Gay Marriage.
This was an eye opener for me as previously I had considered that it was a debate about same sex marriage, perhaps I should have taken more notice of the wording of things in the news.
I believe that we can make a difference to this debate if we can introduce our perspective into it. I am sure that politicians would think twice about their vote if they also had to consider breaking up perfectly good marriages by blocking the same sex laws from becoming a reality. As long as it is just about Gay marriage then I am sure it will be decades before anything happens. We need to make sure that the politicians involved are made aware of the need refer to it as Same Sex Marriage.
Add your vote to the debate here:-
http://www.australianmarriageequality.com/federal-coalition-mp-contact-form/
