As I understand it, the sticking point was federally licenced 'celebrants' officiating at a ceremony that purported to be a 'marriage' when federal legislation (rightly in my opinion) reserves that word for a ceremony involving a man and a woman.
But gay couples wanted equality of civil rights AND equality of ceremony too.
And that's the sticking point - the words 'wedding' and 'marriage'.
While I agree that individuals (of both sexual orientations) should have equal civil rights, that equality does not necesarily extend to permanent sexual union between a gay couple.
As Paul Keating once tartly observed:
"Two lesbians and Pomeranian do not a family make!"
The saddest part is when childrern are artifically finangled into a lesbian relationship to give it an air of normality.
Scene in a school playground:
Child One: "What does your daddy do?"
Child Two: "My daddy is a farmer."
Child Three: My daddy is a plumber."
Chlld Four: "My daddy is a sperm donor!"
Not exactly a superb role model.
And who does the child buy a present for on Father's Day?
The insemination clinic?
No matter how deep and meaningful the relationship may be, two penises or two vaginas (joined as one) will always be a teenage crush (locked in aspic) never a genuine marriage with growth potential.
Getting along with the opposite sex requires and enhances emotional maturity - the very thing that monosexual relations rarely confer.
Which is why monosexual relations are prefered by emotionally juvenile or unstable lovers.
Sadly, once Gay Politics enters the picture (and wagons are circled) any deviation from monocultural relations (even an experiment) is seen as heresy!
What young people need is the tolerance to experiment with loving relations of all kinds (among their peer group) without being labelled a poofter or a heretic.
Young people need tenderness and affection to help them grow emotionally.
The last thing they need are sexual, emotional, religious or political predators who want to use them for their own sordid fulfilment.
OR sexual, emotional, religious or political bigots who lock them into a stereotype that becomes a self- fulfuling prophesy that justifies the bigotry.
The Gay Rights movement began to endow love between men with equality and freedom from police persecution.
It's focus these days is to confer social acceptance on serial anonymous bathhouse buggery between men!
Nothing could be less gay or loving than serial anonymous bathhouse buggery among desperately lonely men.
