STF NA MÍDIA
STF NA MÍDIA
STF NA MÍDIA
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our homes. Where are we<br />
going to live? "<br />
Most children go to the local<br />
primary school, where almost<br />
all the pupils come from<br />
Travelling families. Flynn s<br />
daughters, Michelle Sheridan<br />
and Nora Sheridan, say they<br />
fear for their children in mainstream<br />
schools, and for<br />
their wider families if scattered<br />
around housing estates.<br />
"Everyone is scared of the<br />
race hate we re going to get,"<br />
said Michelle.<br />
Her mother is equally gloomy.<br />
"I don t care what happens<br />
now. I m fed up with<br />
my life," said Flynn. "What<br />
do they think they are doing<br />
to us? The council should<br />
show some understanding.<br />
They never did care about us.<br />
We are human beings, we are<br />
not dogs or pets."<br />
"You ll see people dead on<br />
the site," said Nora. "The old<br />
people aren t going to be able<br />
to stand it."<br />
JUSTIÇA NO EXTERIOR •<br />
THE GUARDIAN (LO) • COMMENT IS FREE • 18/9/2011<br />
A marriage of equals<br />
The ban on same-sex marriage is clearly discriminatory. It should be repealed immediately<br />
Peter Tatchell<br />
Equality minister Lynne Featherstone<br />
has announced that<br />
the government s consultation<br />
on gay marriage is postponed<br />
until March, and that<br />
its terms of reference will<br />
explicitly exclude same-sex<br />
religious marriages and opposite-sex<br />
civil partnerships.<br />
It is perplexing that the minister<br />
for equality wants to<br />
maintain discriminatory laws<br />
that prohibit gay couples<br />
from having a religious marriage<br />
and heterosexual couples<br />
from having a civil partnership.<br />
Given that the government<br />
has no plans to scrap civil<br />
partnerships, Featherstone is<br />
wrong to rule out in advance<br />
any discussion on opening<br />
them up to opposite-sex couples.<br />
Many heterosexuals<br />
would like a civil partnership.<br />
Denying them this option<br />
is unfair – and illegal under<br />
human rights law. How<br />
can the equality minister<br />
support this?<br />
France and the Netherlands<br />
have an equivalent to civil<br />
partnerships, respectively<br />
PACS and registered partnerships.<br />
They are open to same-sex<br />
and opposite-sex<br />
couples. The vast majority of<br />
civil partnerships in these<br />
countries are heterosexual<br />
ones. They are hugely popular,<br />
and would be equally<br />
popular here if the government<br />
allowed straight couples<br />
to have them.<br />
The government s proposed<br />
continuation of the ban on<br />
religious gay marriages is<br />
another surprise. It is an infringement<br />
of religious freedom<br />
to dictate to faith organisations<br />
what they can and<br />
cannot do. Some religions –<br />
such as the Quakers, Unitarians<br />
and liberal Judaism –<br />
want to conduct same-sex<br />
marriages. The equality minister<br />
says they will not be<br />
allowed to do so.<br />
While no religious body<br />
should be forced to perform<br />
gay or lesbian marriages, the<br />
government should support<br />
an end to the legal prohibition<br />
on same-sex weddings<br />
conducted by faith organisations.<br />
The consultation on gay marriage<br />
was supposed to begin<br />
in June. There is no excuse<br />
for postponing it. Why can t<br />
it start now? In fact, why do<br />
we need consultation at all?<br />
The ban on same-sex marriage<br />
is homophobic discrimination<br />
and should be repealed<br />
immediately.<br />
No other legislation is subjected<br />
to such prolonged consultation.<br />
The Scottish government<br />
s consultation on<br />
marriage equality began this<br />
S T F N A M Í D I A • 2 2 d e s e t e m b r o d e 2 0 1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P Á G I N A 1 6 3
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