There are numerous laws based on the grounds of equality.

These laws include that of racial, sexual, and sexual orientation difference. This means that each member of the community is to be treated the same as one another, differences and personal opinions on status excluded. The flaw of the equality laws based on sexual orientation exhibits to the public that it is okay to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation along with gender. It also exhibits to the public that same-sex partners are not capable of upholding the level of love and commitment that marriage brings; however, the equality laws say the opposite: that it is not acceptable or lawful to discriminate on the grounds of any of these. Marriage provides health benefits and security for partners and children, of which any same-sex partners and their children are excluded due to the anti-gay-marriage law. Same-sex partners cannot be considered, by right or not, partners, through the eyes of the law instituted by the government of Australia. Relationship entitlements are only given through a marriage certificate, which gives instant access to these entitlements. These are not received through a civil union. Churches of any religion allow people to marry; be it a different faith or no faith, but due to laws set in place by the government of Australia, they cannot wed those of same sex. If churches are evolving from the bible to their own minds, should the government not do the same? Laws do not say married couples must have children. Many people worry that the law that will cause less child-births, slowing the economic growth of the nation and causing our place in world-growth to slow; however, we allow infertile couples to marry. Therefore, by not allowing gays to marry, the equality law would fairly state that infertile couples may not marry. Over one quarter of same-sex couples are raising children, any this number is only growing. These children are not given the same rights, respect or recognition as other children in their community and across the globe; therefore, treating them unfairly and causing discrimination on innocent children because their fathers or mothers cannot lawfully wed. This means that any parent-funding that married couples with children would receive is not given to these couples, even if the same-sex couple parents are civil union-ed. The laws of marriage over the last century have dramatically changed. For example, we now prohibit rape in marriage, allow divorce and no wife is treated as property of their husband. Discrimination is main point in the reasons gay marriage should be made legal, as allowing it would remove discrimination, the same way racial discrimination was removed when interracial couple marriage was allowing in the 1960s.

Bridgette McGlusky

Legal Studies: Independent Research Topic

Marriage is a human right. By denying this to all humans, we take the equality away from the equality laws, as well as discriminate, despite discrimination being illegal. The health benefits married couples received as opposed to civil union-ed couples are drastically higher. The children of these couples are punished for the illegal acts of people not in the relationship between the parents of the child or the child themselves. To put the equality laws into action, gay couples should be legally allowed to wed in Australia, as without this, the equality laws are biased and not fulfilling its purpose.

Bibliography
Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. (n.d.). Retrieved from austlii: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ma196185/ Q&A - Julia Gillard says No to Gay Marriage. (n.d.). Retrieved from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Vbz4Tg3PM The Case For Same Sex Marriage. (n.d.). Retrieved from Australian Marriage Equality: http://www.australianmarriageequality.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Whymarriage-equality.pdf

Bridgette McGlusky

Legal Studies: Independent Research Topic