Dear Dr. Leigh,
I am a bisexual male living in the ACT. It may not surprise you to find that I am in support of gay marriage rights. The fact that this is even an issue in the modern world, in countries such as Australia that trumpet the cause of freedom and liberty, is a crude joke at best. Like many others, it took me a very long time to come to terms with my sexuality. So long, in fact, that I've only felt confident and courageous enough to declare myself bisexual in the last few months. As others have explained, this is because of the terrible consequences of making such a declaration, i.e. the social stigmatisation and loss of legal rights in some cases. Surely you are a man who can recognise that a democracy should be able to move beyond such a reactionary and hate filled policy. Hell, even the Soviet Union managed to get past the issue of sexuality, and very few people would argue that it was a positive and progressive system that stood for freedom. So if, as we are consistently reminded by the government and media, Australia does indeed stand for progress, freedom, liberty and equality... if that is indeed the case, why are we fostering social divisions and minority exclusion?
If that argument does not persuade you, perhaps this one will. The Labor party is quickly selling itself into irrelevance by mimicking the Liberals. Labor is supposed to stand for centre-left ideals: worker's rights, equality, government intervention, substantial welfare programs etc. Here's a novel idea: start embodying those ideals and stop attempting to become a carbon copy of the Liberals! Represent your voter base for the first time since the 80s by making a stand and siding with a just cause!
Give us the equality that we deserve, it is a basic human right that you are denying us.
Cordially yours,
Jason Abela
I am a bisexual male living in the ACT. It may not surprise you to find that I am in support of gay marriage rights. The fact that this is even an issue in the modern world, in countries such as Australia that trumpet the cause of freedom and liberty, is a crude joke at best. Like many others, it took me a very long time to come to terms with my sexuality. So long, in fact, that I've only felt confident and courageous enough to declare myself bisexual in the last few months. As others have explained, this is because of the terrible consequences of making such a declaration, i.e. the social stigmatisation and loss of legal rights in some cases. Surely you are a man who can recognise that a democracy should be able to move beyond such a reactionary and hate filled policy. Hell, even the Soviet Union managed to get past the issue of sexuality, and very few people would argue that it was a positive and progressive system that stood for freedom. So if, as we are consistently reminded by the government and media, Australia does indeed stand for progress, freedom, liberty and equality... if that is indeed the case, why are we fostering social divisions and minority exclusion?
If that argument does not persuade you, perhaps this one will. The Labor party is quickly selling itself into irrelevance by mimicking the Liberals. Labor is supposed to stand for centre-left ideals: worker's rights, equality, government intervention, substantial welfare programs etc. Here's a novel idea: start embodying those ideals and stop attempting to become a carbon copy of the Liberals! Represent your voter base for the first time since the 80s by making a stand and siding with a just cause!
Give us the equality that we deserve, it is a basic human right that you are denying us.
Cordially yours,
Jason Abela
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