Playing politics with sexuality and morality (still) in the 21st century

When you have a politician who is in a respectable position there should be without a doubt a line. A line which draws out where personal issues and beliefs stop and professionalism starts. That same line should also indicate the beliefs of others when concerning the life style of said politician.

The finance minister for Australia, Penny Wong is a lesbian, and she is in a relationship with Sophie Allouache who, it has just been announced, is pregnant. She had gotten pregnant through IVF. I personally wish them both the very best, however such an occasion has raised the ugly head of ignorance and intolerance.

Although Julia Gillard, the Prime Minister of Australia, has wished them well it seems she still remains resolute on her opposition against gay marriage.

"Clearly there are strong views about same-sex marriage in the community, There are strong views in the political party I lead, and we'll have a debate at national conference about those strongly held views. I've made my views clear."

Her view by the way is that marriage should be reserved only for a man and a woman.
For a country so advanced I would have thought there would be a lot more tolerance. Wait a minute.....actually there is.
From that same article:

"Various polls in Australia have put support for gay marriage as high as 70 per cent."

That is a huge percentage considering the size of the country and it's demographics.

And of course the right wingers who are morally outraged (there is always some) came out to make their voice heard on this.
Fred Nile, an MP from New South Wales and leader of the Christian Democrat Party said:

"She needn't have made it public, It just promotes their lesbian lifestyle and trying to make it natural where it's unnatural."

How lovely of him. Firstly on the subject of making it public, if a straight politician of such a high stature and position was expecting a child they would no doubt announce it in much the same way, It is no different in that aspect at all. Of course the difference is that she is a lesbian so all of a sudden such a thing matters.
Then onto the second part of his statement where he says she is trying to make something seem natural when it is unnatural, well that's just his opinion. That is obviously just his small minded bigoted opinion based on his religious beliefs. And for that we should pity him, because he obviously lacks the capacity or just the intelligence to be tolerant.

I hope in all honesty that soon whatever opposition of gay marriage remains in Australia will be overturned, or most of it at least so that gay marriage may be legalised. After all, it is the right and moral thing to do. It is also the sort of thing a modern society with modern ethics would do.

Here's hoping.

Source:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/lesbian-ministers-pregnancy-fails-to-sway-australia-pm-on-gay-marriage-2335023.html