The Attorney-General George Brandis is proposing an amendment to the Dean Smith Bill which would give civil celebrants the right to refuse to marry gay couples. But are celebrants asking for this? Civil celebrant associations say they don't want the right to discriminate against same-sex couples. There are approximately 8,500 civil celebrants in Australia, and most are members of an Association. These associations have surveyed their members from time to time to ask how we all feel about marrying same-sex couples. Dorothy Harrison, chair of the Coalition of Celebrant Associations, was quoted in The Age newspaper as saying that the majority of celebrants don't want an exemption, and don't approve of them. "A survey of 1500 civil celebrants conducted by the Coalition of Celebrant Associations found just 3 per cent would resign if compelled to perform same-sex weddings. Eighty per cent said they would happily marry same-sex couples".
The Dean Smith Bill already has a provision for a new category of religious marriage celebrants who would be given the same rights currently given to ministers of recognised denominations to refuse to marry anyone, for any reason. In my view, and in the view of most civil celebrants, it is unnecessary to give the same right to disciminate to all civil celebrants. We're not exactly "public servants" but we do have an obligation to perform marriages according to the Marriage Act, without discrimination.
The Dean Smith Bill already has a provision for a new category of religious marriage celebrants who would be given the same rights currently given to ministers of recognised denominations to refuse to marry anyone, for any reason. In my view, and in the view of most civil celebrants, it is unnecessary to give the same right to disciminate to all civil celebrants. We're not exactly "public servants" but we do have an obligation to perform marriages according to the Marriage Act, without discrimination.
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