Tasmania is to become the first state in Australia to recognise same sex marriages from overseas.

An amendment to Tasmania’s Relationship Act was passed unopposed in the state’s Upper House, meaning marriages performed in countries where it’s legal will now be recognised in Tasmania.

A Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman, Rodney Croome, has welcomed the move saying it shows Tasmania is becoming more tolerant.

“II think that something we can all be proud of that Tasmania’s non-discrimnatory laws are being extended to ensure that everyone who travels to or moves to Tasmania can expect the same kind of legal protection to people who already live here,” Mr Croome said.

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Press Release 30/9/10

Tasmanian Council for Sexual & Gender Diverse People Inc

Gay Marriage is a Question Of Conscience

The Tasmanian Council for Sexual & Gender Diverse People Inc to day expressed it’s concern at the Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s dictate to her fellow Labour Parliamentarians that gay marriage will not be a question of conscience in the forth coming debate initiated by the Greens and independent Andrew Wilkie.

Council (TCS&GDP)spokesperson Julian Punch condemned the move by the Prime Minister as following the lead of conservative Churches in not allowing the primacy of conscience in this issue. Mr Punch said that Ms Gillard was out of touch with seventy percent of the population who accept that equality of relationship is a human right of great importance for everyone. He added that most Australians accepted that respect for relationship goes to the heart of equality and the dignity of intimacy wether it is same sex or opposite sex relationships. The denial of conscience in this cannot be denied by the Prime Minister demanding that ‘she knows best’. This arrogant assumption is akin to conservative Church leaders insisting that people’s conscience needs to be controlled by a higher authority.

Mr Punch appealed to the Prime Minister to not loose the opportunity she has to reverse the years of damage that has been done to gay and lesbians in denying them respect and acknowledging the importance of their relationships equally. It was important for the Prime Minister to recognise the advice given in the Federal Governments Men’s Health Policy and that of the Senate Inquiry into Suicide regarding the life threatening effects of long years of discrimination and inequality on the health and well being of the gay community. Mr Punch on behalf of the Council (TCS&GDP) asked Mr Tim Mathieson as a National Men’s Health Ambassador to appeal to his partner Ms Gillard to change her harsh and inconsistent stand.

,b>Julian Punch
Tasmanian Council for Sexual
& Gender Diverse People Inc
WEB www.comingoutproud.org

Australian Marriage Equality

Media Release
Thursday September 30th 2010

DISAPPOINTMENT OVER GILLARD’S OPPOSITION TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY CONSCIENCE VOTE

Marriage equality advocates are disappointed Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has opposed a conscience vote on a Green’s Bill allowing same-sex marriages which was introduced into Federal Parliament yesterday.

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, said the majority of Australians support same-sex marriages and are being “shut out” by Ms Gillard.

“MPs should be free to represent the views of the 60% of Australians who support this reform”, Mr Greenwich said.

“By opposing a conscience vote Julia Gillard is allowing outdated party policy to override and shut out the views of those many ordinary Australians who believe in equality.”

“Surely members of the Federal Labour and Liberal Parties have more important things to do than stop same-sex partners committing to each other”.

Mr Greenwich also welcomed the support of Sydney Lord Mayor, and the NSW State Parliament Member for Sydney Clover Moore, who has written on behalf of Sydney to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott calling for a conscience vote.

Rodney Croome

Media Release
Thursday September 30th 2010

TASMANIA TO RECOGNISE OVERSEAS SAME-SEX MARRIAGES / CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS

GILLARD’S FAILURE TO ALLOW FREE VOTE ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGES SLATED

Tasmania has become the first Australian state to recognise overseas same-sex marriages as part of a broader move to give legal standing to personal unions from interstate and overseas.

The Tasmanian Upper House yesterday passed a State Government amendment to the Relationships Act allowing couples from interstate and overseas to be automatically recognised as partners in a Tasmanian Deed of Relationship (i.e. state civil partnership), reciprocating the recognition offered to Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship by some other Australian states and some other countries.

The amendment, passed without opposition, is the first in Australia to allow recognition of overseas same-sex marriages as official partnerships under state law.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, welcomed the move saying it will provide greater legal security to couples moving to Tasmania.

“Couples in interstate and overseas unions should not have to re-register their relationship in order to secure the legal rights and protections most other couples take for granted”, Mr Croome said.

“It is important for Tasmanian law to respect the official, legal commitment partners make to each other, regardless of what state or country that commitment was made in.”

Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship are already recognised as civil partnerships in the ACT, New Zealand, Britain, and in federal law.

In the State Lower House, Bass MP, Michael Ferguson, was unsuccessful in attempting to ensure overseas same-sex marriages will not be recognised as Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship, because, in his view, this would undermine the current definition of marriage in Australian law as the union of a man and a woman.

But some Upper House members declared that it would be unacceptable discrimination to recognise overseas same-sex civil unions and not overseas same-sex marriages, particularly given that both types of legal union are available in some other countries.

Some Upper House members also noted the fact that the Federal Marriage Act only prohibits the recognition of overseas same-sex marriages as marriages, not as official state civil partnerships.

Mr Croome congratulated Upper House members on their pragmatic and practical approach to the issue.

“What matters here is not what an officially-recognised relationship is called, but the love and commitment it signifies, and the legal protection it deserves.”

In 2003 Tasmanian was the first Australian state to establish a civil partnership scheme. In 2005 it was the first to see the introduction to Parliament of state same-sex marriage laws, although these laws did not pass. In 2009 the state conference of the Tasmanian Labor Party was the first in Australia to support same-sex marriage.

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Mr Croome also expressed disappointment over Julia Gillard’s failure to allow a conscience vote on Australian Green legislation allowing same-sex marriages federally.

“The 60% of Australians who believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, and the many MPs who share the same view, should not be silenced by archaic party policies and the whims of the Prime Minister.”

“We urge all Tasmanian federal Labor MPs to write to Julia Gillard supporting a conscience vote on this issue.”