No Yellow Brick Road for WA's gay couples

"The significant gay and lesbian law reforms of 2001 were a huge step forward, but more needs to be done specifically to protect the rights and responsibilities of those couples who are unmarried or who cannot marry," Ms Pilgrim-Bryne said.

Under Australian law same-sex couples are prohibited from marriage. 

"While the State Government has enacted excellent laws to outlaw discrimination against same-sex couples, gay and lesbian people still encounter the problem of trying to prove to authorities that they have a relationship."

"There is no administrative process, no registration office, no legal certificate to show that a gay or lesbian couple is legally, emotionally and financially interdependent."

"Certification is important when same-sex couples are required to prove their relationship status, for example, when applying for insurance, child custody, superannuation benefits, visa applications or during medical emergencies."

"Tasmania already has a system of partnership registration for gay and de facto couples and the ACT has announced plans for Civil Unions."

"Labor Governments in Britain and New Zealand have both enacted Civil Unions, while the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Belgium and South Africa all have full marriage rights. Regrettably, same-sex couples in WA have nothing."

"The ACT will have Civil Unions in March 2006. But West Australians should not have to travel all the way to Canberra to arrange for that, there should be the facility and the legal right to do that here," Ms Pilgrim-Bryne said.

MEDIA COMMENT:

Sam Pilgrim-Byrne GALE Spokesperson 0401 103 635

Rod Swift GALE Convenor 0417 890 111

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