A GAY OLD TIME

A topic today that will, as usual, predictably make me open to claims of being homophobic.

The problem is that when you try to protest that you are not then you ape arguments like “ many of my friends are Jewish”.

The homosexual tolerance issue is in the news because the United Nations has accused Australia of discriminating against homosexuals.

The UN Human Rights Commission has specifically condemned the Australian Government for discriminating against a same-sex couple and veterans’ pensions.

The UN committee has ruled that the Australian Government discriminated against a Sydney man, Edward Young, whose partner of nearly forty years was a veteran.

Larry Cairns served in Borneo in World War Two. He died from a heart condition in 1998.

Partners of dead war veterans are entitled to a war pension – if they are married or in a de facto relationship.

The Federal Department of Veterans’ Affairs refused a pension for Edward Young. Mr. Young lost an appeal to the Veterans’ Review Board and then went to the United Nations.

Now, at the risk of sounding homophobic, what has this to do with the United Nations?

Australia does not recognise gay marriages? Does not – as yet – recognise same sex partnerships even if they have been in effect for a long time.

We have a High Court Judge, Michael Kirby, who has been in a homosexual relationship for decades.

It didn’t preclude him from becoming a High Court judge even though he was probably guilty of breaching New South Wales laws because of that relationship in the early years.

Our tax laws, our social security laws, our superannuation laws, only recognise married couples or de facto heterosexual couples.

I’m sure that Prime Minister Howard will dismiss this latest attempted interference from the United Nations as nonsense.

Especially after saying that same sex partnerships threatened “ the survival of the species”.

Thursday, September 4, 2003

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2002