----- Original Message -----
From: "acunningham" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Tom Tait" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 11:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Fwd: GET THE HOMOPHOBIA OFF THE DRU WEB PAGES!]
> Further to Shelley's email but on a slightly different note.......As a
> lesbian, I always find it very unsettling and excluding when disability
> organisations/publications offer congratulations to people getting
married.
> The only people who marriage is open to as an option is heterosexuals.
> Marriage is a state institituion and one that is denied to lesbians and
gay
> men. It is pushed by the governemnet as the best option to bring up
children
> in (i believe the government even now publish some guidance booklet).
>
> By offering congratualtions what you are actually doing is reinforcing
this
> discriminatory state institution. A lot of societal benefits are offered
to
> people who marry (social approval, tax concessions, "next of kin" rights).
> If government decided that disabled people could not marry....would we be
> congratualting our non-disabled friends and colleagues on their decision
to
> marry.
>
> Sadly, the disabled peoples movement seems to take a very unpoliticised
> view of the institution of mariage and the position of lesbians and gay
men
> in relation to this. Any ciriticsim by us seems to be met with either not
> wanting to discuss it or else a defensive reaction.
>
> We don't live in a perfect word and if two people find love and want to
> share their lives....well great, whoever they are. But if they choose to
> enter into the state institution of marriage (despite its homophobic
> nature), well they are making a political decision and, in my opinion, it
is
> not one that we should be uncritically "congratualting".
>
> I woudl welcome more discussion on this.
>
> anne
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Tait" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 10:53 AM
> Subject: RE: [Fwd: GET THE HOMOPHOBIA OFF THE DRU WEB PAGES!]
>
>
> > Perhaps it is me who is 'blind' to homophobia, but I read it as an
> innocent,
> > slightly humorous remark. I am sure the author meant no offence to
anyone
> > social group and the fact that it has been on public display for so long
> > with no adverse comments, may indicate that people have not perceived it
> as
> > 'a kick in the face' as suggested.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Shelley Tremain [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: 09 November 2000 12:20
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: [Fwd: GET THE HOMOPHOBIA OFF THE DRU WEB PAGES!]
> >
> >
> >
>
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