Speak UP! - Merryn's BLOG

The news of the week is mixed.  One the one hand the UK passes marriage equality – waiting to be signed off by the Queen no less!  So there is hope in the world, all Queens of the UK will be pleased!  On the other hand Russia goes completely the other direction and imposes a $3,000 fine on people advocating for gay and lesbian rights – any kind of rights – and bans adoption by gay couples? What the..?  Europe is polarised over the issue – apart from our friends in the Netherlands and Belgium of course, and now after much drama and sometimes violent protests – France.

So here we sit down south, the so-called lucky country? Free thinking, free enterprising? Yet, 22 million of us and I am still a second rate citizen in my own country.  The lucky country, the land where our politicians play politics and sit on their hands over real issues like recognising our first peoples in our constitution and letting my family be recognised as a family – for real.  A number of years ago now, my family jumped through hoops of fire and red tape to get my partner legally able to sign our sons forms at school, or at the doctor.  She could not adopt our son, as that would mean that I had to give up ALL parental rights.  She became a legal guardian however and has been able to sign – thanks to some wonderful help and navigation from a lawyer friend!

What a different world our son would’ve been born into if we had been able to marry and our relationship given rights. Or not to marry but for our relationship to be recognised.  Our choice, not theirs.

What a weird world we live in that is so polarised over such an issue of basic human rights.  I struggle to understand why I still have to write about this!

Speaking up is the only way.  The power of social media was shown this week when the wonderful Amanda Palmer wrote a retort to misogynistic Daily Mail after a gig in Glastonbury.  So speaking up I will continue to do…. You bet!

---