Why Is There so Much Resistance to Same-Sex Marriage from Australia’s Major Parties

Why is there so much resistance to same-sex marriage from Australia’s major parties?

As time goes by, the campaign for equal rights and identification for lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered (LGBT) persons has progressively become one of the largest movements in contemporary Australia. Unlike the earlier LGBT , which concentrated on discrimination, the current goal of this movement is the struggle for the legalization of same-sex marriage (Ellison & Acevedo 2011 pp35-56) For many years, same-sex marriage was not drafted on the agenda at the federal level for the establishment of a national standard (Walker, 2007.pp109-130). Over the last 40 years, the homosexual community has overcome a lot of resistance not only from the public, but also from political bodies.

Religious resistance is one of the most powerful forces against same-sex marriage. Historically, marriage has been based on the subordination of women to men, which is why the wife changes her given last name to that of her husband’s upon marriage. People who oppose same-sex marriage do so for a variety of reasons. The Queensland Criminal Justice Commission’s Parliamentary Committee indicated that there are a number of vocal opponents of homosexuality that are from civil society. This opposition often has a theologically-based belief that homosexuality is sinful, immoral, deviant, and is a psychiatric illness. People who violate the nature of the order are betraying the will of God (Wilson 1971, p.50). The three biggest religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, have conventionally been object to same-sex marriage. Furthermore, Christians constitute the largest proportion in Australia. In 2007, 64% of the population claimed to be at least nominally faithful to the Christian religion (Kristen &Brad, 2007). The Pope John Paul II asserted in the Pontifical Conference of Families that “The union between man and woman is the only true one in God’s eyes.”(Jan, 2007). Put another way, the criminal law...