GenQ - For the not so straight individual

Rosie O'Donnell, Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres and most recently Darren Hayes are just some of the well known celebrities who have been privileged enough to "wed" their partners. But what about the rest of the general population? Is the common individual ever going to be bestowed with the privilege of a marriage or civil union with their partner?

The Civil Unions Act was recently introduced by the ACT state government earlier this year, however promptly overruled by the Australian Federal Government under Section 122 of the constitution, which states that federal parliament have the right to veto legislation which does not apply to a majority of states in Australia. Such legislation is also expected not to be re-introduced under current leaders of parliament. A similar stance also exists in other countries around the world, such as the United States of America. But why does it need to be legalized in all countries when you can get on a plane, go to a country that permits civil unions and 'tie the knot' with your partner somewhere else? This would suggest that money is what is needed to have the ideal marriage.

The only occasion that a common same-sex marriage was highlighted, was only several months ago, when the first 'same-sex divorce' was implemented in Spain in July. The struggle to obtain the same right of marriage for all people has been continually mentioned through numerous means, such as propositions on well known television shows focused on the gay community, and also through a number of celebrity couples who are refusing to marry until same-sex marriages have been legalized in their country of residence. But is this support good enough for the equal right of marriage to be implemented?

The fight for equal rights amongst all individuals has been a battle that has now been running for centuries. It began with slaves in the 19th century in the United States, where controversial rulings by the US Supreme Court declared that the treatment and selling of slaves was "unconstitutional". To the 20th century, and the battle was for "black" people and for women to have equal rights. Courageous individuals such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. who stood up for their beliefs managed to obtain legal rights. And now, to the 21st century, where the 'controversial' gay community seek equal rights. Where is our continually highlighted figurehead for this battle of equal rights? There doesn't appear to be one; this indeed seems to be a battle that is being fought alone. The common individual does not have a loud enough voice to be heard. Or perhaps they do; it is just not listened to by the people that matter.

So for the people who can successfully obtain a same-sex marriage (and in most cases have it broadcast by media around the world), congratulations to you. May your futures have all that you ever dreamed of. Just don't forget about the rest of us, we still haven't won our battle yet?