AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER CLOSES SSM LOOPHOLE: From the Queensland Courier-Mail

THE Howard Government will outlaw the Australian recognition of gay marriages formed overseas by inserting the words "man" and "woman" into the Marriage Act.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday told his parliamentary colleagues that Federal Cabinet had decided to "go forward" with the plan so as to protect the traditional definition of marriage and head-off three imminent court challenges to the law as it stands. ...

There is no formal definition of marriage either in the Marriage Act or the Family Law Act, and until now the notion that marriage is a union between a man and a woman has only been assumed.

But with Canada and some US states now permitting marriage between foreign homosexual couples, family groups and Coalition backbenchers have been lobbying Federal Cabinet to ensure that such unions would not be recognised in Australia.

The Australian Family Association also wanted biological definitions of the genders written into law to prohibit transsexual couples from marrying--a move the Government has rejected. ...

Federal Cabinet's move came as Greens MP Michael Organ introduced a private member's Bill that would remove barriers to same-sex marriages and allow homosexual couples to adopt children and access IVF treatment.

Mr Organ's proposed laws also would grant gay couples equal access to superannuation, employment and health entitlements.

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posted by Eve at 2:58 AM | link

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