If you’re scratching your head after reading the above headline, fear not — it’s not that you’ve read it wrong, it’s that it doesn’t make any freaking sense.
But it is essentially the argument that Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, a steadfast opponent of marriage equality, made in a recent television interview, according to a report by Gay Star News:
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has told gays that her own relationship proves you don’t have to marry.
Gillard, who opposes same-sex marriage equality, isn’t married to her long-term partner Tim Mathieson but says they are still committed to each other.
She told ABC TV: ‘I think you can have a loving relationship of love and commitment and trust and understanding that doesn’t need a marriage certificate. That’s my life experience – so I’m speaking from that life experience.’
Yes, she is that stupefyingly blind to her own privilege. Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich called her out on it:
The prime minister is able to choose not to marry, however this choice is denied to many same-sex couples who desperately want to celebrate the traditions of marriage and have the legal protection, security and recognition that comes with marriage.
‘The prime minister may not want to marry herself, but most Australians value the importance of marriage greatly, and as such want their gay and lesbian friends to have equal access and be treated as equal citizens by the marriage act.’
Julia Gillard’s staggeringly insensitive comments show how out of touch she is with the everyday lived experiences of her constituents. They are especially disgraceful for someone in her position as a head of state in a Western democracy.
My question to PM Gillard is, “What planet are you from?” I am mystified how anyone in this day and age can be so blind to what is going on in society today. Even if those that oppose marriage equality, though by misguided and archaic arguments, have more going on in their “grey matter” than Ms. Gillard. I really do not know how to respond to an “unarmed person”. It is just sad, so very sad. As a gay man and a pastor, all I can do and reccommend others to do is pray for her!
Head of Government, not Head of State (thats Queen Elizabeth II), but that aside, everything you said was true. The Australian PM is seen by more and more of the people in her own party as out of touch, and as a generally unpleasant person. Doubt she will hold the PM position for that much longer, and for Australia, that will be a good thing I think.
I choose to not live where there are kangaroos running wild, therefore Australia doesn’t need them and should kill them all.
Right? Good reasoning, right, Gillard?
Then again, we have elected morons every bit as stupefied as her.
Are we sure she’s not American? She sure sounds like many of our home-grown looney-tunes. Amazing actually.She has a choice to marry or not; the option is there for her and her partner, but she equates that to not having any option at all. Deep thinker she is. More shocking: she’s the PRIME MINISTER! Way to go, Aussies!
The other crazy thing is that she is an atheist. She isn’t some religious loon. There is really no discernible motivation for her position other than her sucking up the religious factions in the country for political gain.
From a student newspaper clipping when she was active in her study body union, she states unequivically that she is gay. Tim Matthesian himself is gay (and a her former hair dresser). Their relationahip is a mickey mouse arrangement to make her more socially acceptable (and hence electable) and to put a smoke screen on her true orientation. Apparently, there is a larger drive than sex sith some human bengs. Its power. She is a lying, treacherous, piece of s**t of a person (well- she is a lawyer)who deposed the only acceptable person for Prime Minister from her party (Kevin Rudd) by a series of deals with party factions, and f*****g the right leaders of them (true story – she will literally do anything for power) in order to gain their support. She uses her sex as a weapon, but has not committment to heterosexuality – another sign that she is a complete and utter hypocrit.
Well bully for the byeatch. Just because she hasn’t married, that doesn’t mean that everyone else has to follow suit. Just nonsense.
Dear PM Gillard,
Your comment on same-sex marriage is not a little arrogant. I would suggest that the decision to marry should remain with any couple considering such.
And though your opinion is noted, it’s certainly doest not fall into the category of informed. YOUR decision to not marry, really, has no bearing on other couples relative as it is, only to your circumstance.
Alas, I’m concerned you have neither the wit, insight, discernment, nor wisdom, to realize that. Please school yourself further on the issue therefore, insofar as your native intelligence will allow for it.
Gew
As I noted yesterday when I tweeted and posted this news item, her (bad) logic would also require that straight people not be allowed to marry, since they can have just as deep and committed a relationship without the license. Just as anyone would reject that as an argument for abolishing marriage altogether, it can be as easily rejected as an argument for continuing to restrict marriage equality.
I’ve actually heard LGBTQ people say that they don’t support same-sex marriage because they think marriage needs to be totally revamped as an institution. While I think there are some problematic aspects of marriage, legalizing same-sex marriage can offer many tangible benefits to everyone, including heterosexual people.