What a BUSY few months!

Thank you all for supporting whycantwegetmarried.com in our efforts to eliminate discrimination worldwide.

This is a long update so please see the bullet points below for a summary of action on the last few months.

1. Taking whycantwegetmarried.com to the world.
2. Where are we now.
3. Expressions of interest for international chapters.
4. A reply to my letter to the Australian Prime Minister.

If you have any ideas or feedback, we would LOVE to hear from you, please email info [a] whycantwegetmarried.com

Thank you

Kristiana and Kristina
www.whycantwegetmarried.com

1. Taking whycantwegetmarried.com to the world.

In August, Kristina and I were able to take whycantwegetmarried.com to Canada for the World Youth Congress, a non-partisan, non-religiously affiliated, international youth activist conference.

We met people from all over the world and were able to gain a little bit more of an understanding of how our project might be applied internationally. We had no idea how well-received we would be.

This project that you are supporting literally has the potential to save countless lives worldwide. This project has the potential to educate and empower people all over our planet and prevent the unnecessary hate, rape, attacks and murders that occur based on intolerable difference, or, worse than that, intolerable SUSPECTED difference.

From the conference we were able to better focus our project so that it could be used to benefit the greatest number of people. We are in the process of focussing ideas and future as per the next section; Where are we now.

2. Where are we now.

When we got back from the conference we were contacted by Human Rights Watch New York for a possible partnership. Nothing has resulted as yet, but we are astounded that Human Rights Watch even heard about us!

We have also met up with a representative from Visible Ink who has given us varied and ongoing information and assistance for all sorts of funding, resource and guidance help.

An amazing Lawyer called Stephen Page who knows all about equality in Australian law has also been in contact with us to offer his support, we haven't been able to utilise his services much as yet, but he has a couple really helpful blogs that we often refer to http://www.blogger.com/profile/02082170376808966772

We also met up with a really charismatic campaigner called Cam from LOLWTF. Cam was full of ideas to put whycantwegetmarried.com on the international radar which was fantastic, but also helped us to realise what we really want for the project.

So what do we want? We want a project that gets people thinking without being offensive. We want to be culturally sensitive while challenging what is, and is not acceptable on a human rights level. We want to make a meaningful difference in people's lives and we want to afford everyone safety and freedom to love whoever they choose so long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

But how can this be achieved? See Expressions of interest for international chapters below.

3. Expressions of interest for international chapters.

Before and during the World Youth Congress we had received expressions of interest to start up international chapters of whycantwegetmarried.com

We have so far received interest from Venezuela, Mexico, United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Turkey, Egypt, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia and Singapore.

While we are delighted with the enthusiasm and passion exhibited by these regions, we are cautious not to establish any chapters without a concrete base. Hence, we are in the process of establishing our Project Charter and registering whycantwegetmarried.com as a not-for-profit (NFP) organisation.

If you are interested in starting up a chapter of whycantwegetmarried.com in your area or want to know more about this when it become available, please get in contact through info [a] whycantwegetmarried.com .

4. A reply to my letter to the Australian Prime Minister.

Finally, you might recall that several months ago I wrote a letter to the Australian Prime Minister asking how I could help him represent me fairly, and advocate for my basic human right, to not be discriminated against based on my sexuality. I finally received a response.

It is below.

From the Australian Government
Attorney-General's Department
Classification, Human Rights and Copyright Division

Dear Ms …………..

I refer to you recent correspondence concerning discrimination against same-sex couples and the Government’s position on same-sex marriage/civil unions. The matters you have raised fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP. The Attorney-General has asked me to respond on his behalf.

The Australian Government believes that people are entitled to respect, dignity and the opportunity to participate in society and receive the protection of the law regardless of their sexuality.

The Government is removing discrimination against same-sex couples and their children in Commonwealth laws. Following these reforms, same-sex relationships will be treated in the same way that opposite-sex de facto relationships are treated for the purposes of Commonwealth entitlements and programs. The general areas of laws that will be reformed are taxation, superannuation, social security, health, aged care, veterans’ entitlements, worker’s compensation, employment entitlements, immigration and other areas of Commonwealth administration.

These laws were identified in the landmark Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report Same-Sex: Same Entitlements and through an audit conducted by the Attorney-General’s Department. The focus of the Commission’s report was on financial and work-related legislation that discriminates against same-sex couples and their children.

On 28 May 2008, the Attorney-General introduced the Same-sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws – Superannuation) Bill 2008. This Bill makes amendments so that same-sex couples are no longer denied the payment of death benefits from superannuation schemes or the tax concessions on death benefits currently made available to opposite-sex couples.

One 18 June 2008, the Bill was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs for inquiry and report by 30 September 2008 or after the consideration of any related bills, whichever is the sooner. Further information on the inquiry can be accessed at www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon/ctte . I encourage you to make your views known as part of the inquiry process.

The significant changes in this Bill will shortly be followed by further reforms that will end same-sex discrimination in a wide range of Commonwealth laws. In some areas, such as social security, taxation and veteran’s affairs, the reforms will be phased-in to allow time for couples to adjust their finances, and for administrative arrangements to be implemented. All of the changes are expected to be implemented by mid-2009.

It is the Government’s view that couples who have a mutual commitment to a shared life should be able to have their relationship recognised. The Government’s policy on relationship recognition supports at state-based nationally consistent scheme for the registration of committed adult relationships that are not marriages.

I trust that this information will be of assistance. Thank you for bringing your views to the Government’s attention.

Yours sincerely

Peter Arnaudo
Assistant Secretary
Human Rights Branch