LGBTI people prefer a more fluid and transient lifestyle - not permanent marriage
Instead of a plebiscite, Leader of the ALP Bill Shorten and his colleague Senator Penny Wong argue that the Australian people cannot be trusted and that there must be a parliamentary vote on the issue of same-sex marriage. Shorten and Wong also argue that the LGBTI community fully supports the campaign to change the marriage act to allow gays and lesbians to marry. Wrong on both counts. The reality is that a significant number of LGBTI people are not committed to a long-term, monogamous relationship symbolised by the institution of marriage. Based on two recent national surveys, “Private lives: A report on the health and wellbeing of GLBTI Australians” and “Monopoly: A study of gay men’s relationships”, it is clear that a large number of LGBTI people prefer a more fluid and transient lifestyle. The first survey concludes: “Only a small percentage of men and women (between 5-10 per cent) reported formalising the relationship with a marriage or commitment ceremony, while most