Gays manipulate Passport wording for Father and Mother
Image via WikipediaGAY parents could win the right to not be referred to as a mum or dad, but instead 'parent 1' or 'parent 2' in passport applications.
They would have the option of choosing "parent 1" and "parent 2", instead of mother and father, under a proposal being considered by the Government for its new electronic passport application system.
Gay rights groups applauded the potential for gender-neutral forms in Australia, but family groups expressed concern.
Is this political correctness gone mad?
Australian Family Association spokeswoman Terri Kelleher said the move undermined the traditional family model.
"It would break down the understanding of a family and family relationships; how long until they just use parent one and parent two?" she said.
"It would reflect the make-up of families across Australia," she said.
Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby spokeswoman Sarah Rogan said it would be a "progressive" step for same-sex couples.
"It would also be beneficial for children to see that their family is considered a family."
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the proposal stemmed from problems same-sex parents had when filling out forms on behalf of children.
"Feedback from same-sex parents of minor passport applicants has highlighted difficulties they have experienced when completing parental consent sections of passport applications," a statement said.
"Consideration is being given to include parent 1/parent 2 alongside the mother/father fields as part of a proposed electronic enrolment facility for passports."Britain will make a similar change by December after pressure from gay lobby groups, while the US this year dropped mother and father from passport applications to reflect "different types of families".
The proposal comes after recent changes allowing transsexual Australians to carry passports in their preferred gender without the need for a sex change.
Australian Bureau of Statistics available show that in 2006, 50,000 people were living in a same-sex couple relationships.
But the report said this was expected to be a conservative figure.
Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said it was a sign of the times and reflected changes in modern families.
