Labor in Kooyong, Friday 13th and on to Same-Sex Marriage

[tcpip]

Last Thursday attended a very good Labor function in the very safe Liberal seat of Kooyong. Had the opportunity to mention the perhaps too optimistic opinion poll from Roy Morgan. Candidate Steve Hurd showed some touching from the Muse with skill and insight in poetry. Took the opportunity to chat with former premier Joan Kirner and (of course) brought up her own skills with the muse. Quite surprisingly she remembered me even though we hadn't spoken to each other for over ten years.

Last eve 'twas a dark and stormy night, ideal for a viewing of the HP Lovecraft derived Return to Innsmouth, as glasses of glühwein were sipped. It was the perfect precursor for a visit to Nightmare House (a rather interesting game of New England horror and splitting psychic and physical conflicts). When the clock struck midnight, a new celebration was called - for it was the second birthday of the rodent brothers, Trouble, Mischief and Calamity who received, in good spirits, a serve of cheesekake.

Just returned from the Equal Love, where I had the time to spend some time with Adam Bandt (Greens candidate for Melbourne and Fiona Patten (convenor, Australian Sex Party). Gave the statement of religious leaders who support same-sex marriage to rally organiser Ali Hogg who commented on it and directed others to your writer for more information. Press release will be coming soon, campaign will be on-going. On a related note, gave the service last Sunday for Kenneth Davidson's address. Will be attending ANZUUA workshop next weekend.

Comments

[tau-iota-mu-c.livejournal.com]

Is not Kooyong very safe Liberal because it was Petro Georgiou? With him unfortunately retiring, I suppose many of his more enlightened voters (the doctors' wives) will move back over to a more left leaning party.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Not yet. Whilst the pre-selection had its acrimonious elements it would take a Liberal government to pursue a particularly right-populist agenda utterly contrary to Deakinite liberalism. At this stage, the liberals in Kooyong will back the Liberals.

It must be said however, when Abbot loses I believe it will only be a few months before they launch their challenge.

[ctudball.livejournal.com]

I was happy when they mentioned the statement from religious leaders, although I wish they had the time to comment on it more. It felt a little rushed.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, it did come to the organisers a little leftfield and I must say I don't think the small numbers warranted too much attention. But it is certainly a start of something bigger.

[ctudball.livejournal.com]

I think it's the most creative solution to an injustice that I've ever known.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I have discovered some predecessors - the Adelaide Affirmation and the Quakers statement. Although this differ insofar that it is interfaith, interdenominational and considers existing laws to be a form of religious discrimination.

[pmax3.livejournal.com]

Wow, you've been busy! Keep up the good work :D

Also, I am so sorry I couldn't follow up on your enquiry about the Naxalite problem. I wanted to gather some fresh news pieces to give you a rich, useful picture but got bogged down with work :( Some new developments have been taking place with the center presenting a two-pronged (tribal devlopment + increased security) strategy, and the Maoists agreeing to negotiation through a religious leader. I will try to put together a post at the earliest.

Cheers and all the best!

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update Blue Dog. I am glad to hear that there is mediation going on, and somewhat surprised that it is through a religious leader. Perhaps the Maoists are not as fanatical and doctrinaire as I originally thought. I am sure they have legitimate cause for complaint, from the little I know of the very uneven development of Indian modernism, but the tactics of terrorism cannot be condoned in any circumstances.

[pmax3.livejournal.com]

Well the Maoists had "agreed to" mediation by a religious leader, but only on their own - the government had not proposed him as mediator. So the government had said they don't need a mediator and the Maoists need to talk directly so that option went out of the windows.

As for legitimate cause, the people of the Eastern states certainly do have a legitimate cause for complaint. And the cause is that the mineral and hydroelectric resource pieces of land are being used for / given away to corporates for mining or industrial development; and in the process the inhabitants of those lands are being displaced and/or their natural environments are being damaged. There is nothing illegal about such decisions per se (the Right to Property is not a fundamental right), but there are valid questions of ethical correctness and procedural justice. Furthermore, one state government (I think it was Jharkhand) wrote the central government for relaxation in forest use laws for the "development of the state"! And the inefficiency and corruption in paying out compensation to affected people is no small factor in compounding the problem.

However, that being said, The Maoists have absolutely no moral leg to stand on in this whole affair. Their dealings with the tribals, whom they routinely exploit, and the government, are completely based on deceit and violence. It is of course difficult to describe "The Maoists" as whole in such fashion given that their cadres often come from the tribals, but aggressive use of force against the Maoists has to be used as an indispensable part of the strategy in dealing with the problem of discontent.

[pmax3.livejournal.com]

I meant "out of the window" :P

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Hope the EQUAL LOVE rally was better than the MARRIAGE EQUALITY SAME-SEX MARRIAGE rally I went to yesterday.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It was quite good; what was wrong with the one you were at?

The problem

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Despite the advertising of it as a "Marriage Equality" event, almost all the speakers used the term "Same Sex Marriage" instead, essentially ignoring trans, and intersexed issues. Only one speaker mentioned trans and intersexed people at all, where we were referred to as "our trans and intersexed brothers and sisters". Norrie pointed out that "brothers and sisters" may not be accurate for intersexed, which I guess is true.

So, everything was presented as a GAY/LESBIAN issue only, and apparently trans and intersexed are "valiant allies" but not folk with a stake in the issue. But same-sex marriage ain't going to hack it if a trans person can only get married say, under their birth gender.

Think I'll skip the next one if that's the attitude.

Re: The problem

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

OK, I grok it. I suppose same-sex marriage has become a default parlance because heterosexual marriage is the legal definition. I am not sure where trans and intersex comes under the contemporary law in this regard.

Re: The problem

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

The issue in Australia (apart from general transphobia and homophobia) is that while the States are responsible for Births and Deaths, it's the Federal Govt that's responsible for Marriages (which are administrated by the States on its behalf).

This means that though reassigned gender may be recognised on a State basis, there is no such compulsion to do so on a Federal level, and without a proper inclusion in legislation, a "straight" marriage between a trans person and their partner may or may t be legal. In the absence of legislation it tends to be a hit and miss affair in the courts, which may be either State or Federal.

Also of course, Intersex persons might not be allowed to marry under the current (and recently revised) Marriage Act, as it now states that "Marriage is between a man and a woman" (and Intersexed may be both or neither).

Not sure about genderqueer. That's new territory for me.

Re: The problem

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

OK; that's pretty much as I suspected and clears up a few things for me.