Council Minutes - Section C: Notice of Motion - 8 July 2014
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Notices of Motion tabled at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 8 July 2014 which was held at City Hall in Little Malop Street, Geelong.
This notice of motion calls on the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) to publicly support Marriage Equality for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (GLBTI) people. There is a large community of GLBTI people within the City of Greater Geelong. This notice of motion encourages Council to take another step forward in supporting the local GLBTI community and redressing a human right that is being denied to them.
Article 16 of the Universal Charter of Human Rights states; “Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.”
Both Councillors and staff at the City of Greater Geelong have taken part in a number of events to support and celebrate our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community. Not the least of these is the recurrent funding for the GASP project which supports GLBTI young people.
CoGG has celebrated with and for the GLBTI community by holding a rainbow flag raising ceremony to mark the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) Day. In previous years Council has flown the Rainbow Flag on the Old Post Office.
This year CoGG sent a very strong message to our community that the City of Greater Geelong celebrates and supports every member of the community by raising the rainbow flag on City Hall. More than 120 people from the community attended each of these ceremonies.
In addition to this, CoGG has displayed banner flags around the municipality with the message “Strength in Diversity: The City of Greater Geelong proudly supporting our GLBTIQ community.” CoGG staff, along with members of the GASP project and
Cr Farrell, have also marched behind this banner at the Melbourne Pride March.
Supporting a change to the Marriage Act is not about forcing religious groups to marry same sex couples. It is about human rights and equality for all people. Marriage has many purposes and has long been a secular as well as religious act. It is also for legal security, to publicly celebrate commitment, to provide greater legal protection for children, or simply because two people are in love.
The campaign for marriage equality is important because the current marriage laws systematically discriminate against a particular class of people in our society. The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities recognises everyone is entitled to equal and effective protection against discrimination.
Cr Farrell moved, Cr Fisher seconded -
That Council:
publicly supports marriage equality, irrespective of sex or gender identity;
writes to all local state and federal Members of Parliament, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and the Commonwealth Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission advising them of that support.
Amendment
Cr S Kontelj moved, Cr Ansett seconded –
That Councillors:
publicly supports marriage equality, irrespective of sex or gender identity;
writes to all local state and federal Members of Parliament, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and the Commonwealth Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission advising them of that support.
The amendment was put and lost.
The motion was put and carried.
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