Human Rights review: submissions asked from LGBT community
Sunday March 29, 2009

Human Rights review: submissions asked from LGBT community

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Currently the human rights review chaired by Frank Brennan is touring the country. It has been put to me forcefully, for example by Dr Alan Berman, that LGBT people ought to be engaged in the process and advocate for a bill of rights or a charter of rights, because LGBT people have been and continue to be discriminated against.

In the last few days I received an email from “Alanah” which I set out below. It speaks for itself.

Alanah’s email

Hello,

The Human Rights Commission is currently taking submissions for human rights needs. They compile and refer these submissions to the federal government for possible law amendments.
The GLBTI community needs to have their voices heard.

I am asking that you ask each member to submit a submission saying the current marriage laws contravene anti-discrimination laws (treating a person less favourably based on their sexuality) and deny a large portion of Australians access to a basic human right (the right to get married).
Please have your members reiterate that we are not asking for access to religious ceremonies, we are asking for the basic legal right to have an authorised, recognised, legal marriage.
Marriage is a basic human right, and it is discriminatory to exclude access to this on the basis of sexuality.

We need as many submissions as we can get in order to have our voices heard.This is an excellent opportunity. Submissions do not need to be long or professionally written (can be a paragraph).

They are due by the 15th of June and can be written and submitted via this website:
https://www.humanrightsconsultation.gov.au/www/nhrcc/nhrcc.nsf/Page/HaveYourSay_SubmissionForm
Thank-you.
Regards,
Alana

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