Same-sex Marriage

Yesterday I talked about boat people.  Today, I feel compelled to write a short note about another issue that is being hotly debated in Australia.



All those who oppose same-sex marriage claim that their objections have nothing to do with religion.  This is obviously (at least to me) nonsensical.  The fact is that marriage is still seen by many as a “holy matrimony”, a union sealed by God.

For me, to limit marriage to people of opposite sexes is an act of discrimination, as absurd as if there were the requirement of a minimum difference in weight or age or colour of the skin.

In Australia, almost one third of people never marry and one third of marriages end up in divorce. Furthermore, there are more de-facto relationships than married couples.  The idea that marriage is one of the pillars of our society is therefore a bit outdated.

A marriage is a contract.  It spells out duties and rights like any other contract.  As such, it should be accessible to everyone who accept some obligations in order to enter a recognised form of relationship.

The discrimination against same-sex marriages is a relic of the past that should be disposed of without so much fussing about.  I understand the value of traditions, but marriage exclusively between a man and a woman should be confined to the history books exactly like the ius primae noctis.