By LAURA WAKELY
SAME-SEX marriage advocates were disappointed and offended by some western suburbs politicians stance against same-sex marriage.
Last week Star revealed just one Federal politician from the West, Gellibrand MP Nicola Roxon, and seven State members were in support of legalising same-sex marriage.
Since last week’s article, Williamstown MP Wade Noon has also declared his support.
Prime Minister and Lalor MP Julia Gillard, Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn and Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz are against it.
Hobsons Bay Mayor Tony Briffa and chair of the council’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (GLBTIQ) Advisory Group said he was offended by comments made by Mr Finn that marriage was “about having kids”.
“It defies logic and I find it personally offensive given that I can’t have children,” Mr Briffa said.
“Does that mean that people over 50 and 60, over a child-bearing age, should not get married?”
He said same-sex marriage should not be about forcing religious groups to marry gay or lesbian couples, but about two people in a loving relationship wanting to marry.
“I think discrimination is discrimination no matter what guise it’s in. The law should remove any discrimination that exists,” Mr Briffa said.
He said Hobsons Bay Council have declared their support for same-sex marriage, while other western suburbs councils recently flew a rainbow flag in support of the GLBTIQ community.
Last week, results from the 2011 Census revealed Maribyrnong City Council has the fourth highest number of same-sex couples in Victoria, with 2.8 per cent.
Yarraville resident Mel Collier said she was pleased to hear “overwhelming support… for marriage equality” among State politicians.
But she said it was frustrating to read Federal leaders are “lagging so far behind” what she said was the “majority opinion” that same-sex marriage should be legalised.
“It is a national embarrassment that the government continues to discriminate against and exclude same-sex attracted Australians from the right to marry,” Ms Collier said.
