Marriage and civil union policy

Adopted at Socialist Alliance's 7th National Conference, January 2010

The Socialist Alliance supports the right to marry regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

In other countries civil unions have been offered to the LGBTI community to placate the movement for equal marriage rights. This is not the situation in Australia, where even civil unions have been suppressed by the federal government because they “mimic marriage”. It is for this reason that the Socialist Alliance supports civil unions but will continue the campaign for marriage . Civil unions are not a substitute for marriage rights.

The Socialist Alliance stands for:

1. Immediate equal marriage rights for LGBTI people.
2. Civil unions legislation in each State and Territory, as well as on the federal level. Civil unions legislation should allow official, legally recognised ceremonies, and it should be open to everyone regardless of gender or sexuality.