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Same-sex marriage ban legitimises homophobia PDF Print
Roz Ward 02 February 2010

Homophobia is alive and well in Australia, despite the gains made by the gay liberation movement of the 1970s, limited law reforms and the growth of an increasingly diverse pink dollar marketplace (gay real estate agent anyone?). And homophobia is an extremely powerful force; it kills, it injures and it affects the day-to-day lives of millions of people in Australia and across the world.
We know from research conducted in Australia that rates of suicide and attempted suicide are six times higher for same-sex attracted young people than their heterosexual counterparts. This is not because there is anything innately depressing about being attracted to someone of the same sex, far from it. It’s because having to face a homophobic society every day, perhaps being disowned by your family, and almost certainly dealing with a hostile school environment, can sometimes be too much for anyone to bear.
National research conducted by La Trobe University in 2004 provided evidence that the place where young people are least safe from homophobia is at school. Around half had experienced homophobic verbal abuse, with most incidents taking place while they were at school. I’m sure that if you are one of the many trying to look at the new government schools comparison website (when it works!) you won’t find any information about what each school is doing to tackle homophobic bullying.
We also know that, throughout our lives, LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) people have disproportionately higher levels of depression and anxiety, along with poorer physical and sexual health. All of this is hard to face, but it also all entirely preventable, and again has nothing to do with being LGBTI, but everything to do with the impact of discrimination and oppression on our lives. In a 2008 study of LGBTI experiences of violence in Victoria, over 85 per cent of respondents said they had experienced physical violence and abuse in their lifetime, with 1 in 4 having experienced homophobic abuse within the last two years.
There are ongoing debates about the best approach to challenging this oppression. LGBTI people have a long and often proud history of fighting back, not just accepting discrimination. This must continue with even greater energy. But why should we be campaigning specifically for same-sex marriage? And why has this proved itself to be a demand that thousands have taken to the streets to protest for?
It’s not just about achieving basic equal, civil, legal rights – an argument that the majority of Australians now agree with. It’s about something much broader than just a change in the law.
When a same-sex attracted young person, or indeed LGBTI people of any age, look for signs of acceptance of their sexuality in society, we often look at the very basic interactions and norms of “ordinary” life – things like getting on at school, finding decent work, having a happy family, and the option of getting married to our partner. The fact that same-sex marriage is illegal in Australia is a stark indication that our sexuality is not accepted. By denying same-sex couples the same choice to get married as opposite sex couples, it is implied that we, and our relationships, are different. And not just different but lesser, worse.
The fact that same-sex marriage is banned provides an enormous legitimacy for homophobic views and the resulting homophobic behaviour. Really, if the government won’t recognise our relationships as equal to those of our straight friends and family, why should anyone else? What does the ban signify to the homophobe? That same-sex couples really are different, unequal, not worthy of marriage, and not worthy of anything but homophobia and abuse.
That is why getting involved in the campaign for same-sex marriage rights is about fighting against homophobia, fighting to end all forms of discrimination, and for a future where all consenting relationships can be celebrated however we want to celebrate them.
Of course, the fight against homophobia will not end when we achieve same-sex marriage rights, or even if we win full legal equality. Homophobic oppression is an integral part of the structure of capitalism, just like transphobia, sexism, racism, and all the rest. Our fight against homophobia will only be won when we finally defeat this whole repulsive system, and can create a world that’s truly equal.

 

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