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Same sex marriage should not be legalised

Decades of activism have been required in order to reduce incidents of discrimination against gay and lesbian men and women. But there is a final frontier to be crossed—the extension of the legal right for same sex couples to marry. While the majority of the Australian public support this development, there is trenchant opposition from some quarters—most notably amongst some religious groups who consider marriage to be a sacrament ordained by God. There are groups who argue the social meaning of marriage is heterosexual, as the basis for a secure traditional family life. There are also strong voices within the gay and lesbian communities who oppose marriage—preferring to maintain a symbolic separation from the distinct, heterosexual community. All of the legal entitlements enjoyed by married couples could be extended to same sex couples without upsetting any of the committed guardians of the status quo. So, why risk dividing the community for the sake of what may amount to nothing more than symbolism? Or are symbols precisely the kind of thing worth fighting for—precisely because others guard them so fiercely?

Speakers

Speakers to be announced.

Chair:

Dr Simon Longstaff has a PhD in Philosophy from Cambridge. Prior to becoming the inaugural Executive Director of St James Ethics Centre in 1991, Dr Longstaff worked in the Northern Territory in the Safety Department of BHP subsidiary, GEMCO, lectured at Cambridge University and consulted to the Cambridge Commonwealth and Overseas Trusts. His book Hard Cases, Tough Choices was published in 1997. Dr Longstaff was inaugural President of the Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics and is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum. He is Chairman of Woolworths Limited Corporate Responsibility Panel and AMP Capital Socially Responsible Investment Advisory Committee and serves as Member on a number of Board Committees.