A BUSSELTON mum said it’s time for society to stop putting children at the forefront of marriage equality and to stop discriminating against children from same sex couples.
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Ms Laverty’s family consists of two mums including herself, her partner of 15 years and their three children and she said the one thing different for children in same sex families was discrimination.
“That’s not a family thing that is a society thing,” she said.
She said it was important for young children who identify as transgender, gay or bisexual or are from same sex families to feel safe about their identity.
“They need to know it’s safe to be who they are because high school can be one of the most dangerous places to be one of those people,” she said.
Research published by the American Academy of Paediatrics has shown children with same sex parents succeed just as well as children with heterosexual parents as long as there is stability, love and support.
“All the kind of basic foundations that a child needs in order to be successful,” she said.
In fact, the research found factors that were harmful to children’s development were poverty, parental substance abuse or mental illness, divorce and domestic violence.
“The sexual orientation of their parents is not among them,” the report said.
Even though same sex marriage is not legally recognised under the law it didn’t stop Ms Laverty marrying her partner 10 years ago in front of family and friends.
“Our friends and family were just horrified that we were going to get married somewhere else and do it by ourselves,” she said.
“It was very important to them that we did it with them as witnesses.”
Ms Laverty said marriage equality would be an acknowledgment through law that her relationship and family were considered equal and valid as any other under the law.
“The perception that we are somehow worth less as humans is only perpetuated by the absence and denial of equality,” she said.
“We exist, our families exist and we already have children.”
Ms Laverty said she was frustrated by federal Forrest MP Nola Marino who stood up in parliament and said the South West doesn’t support marriage equality.
“I think she is very wrong and I don’t think she has done her research,” she said.
A recent poll conducted by the Busselton Dunsborough Mail found over 92 per cent of 83 people supported marriage equality.
Ms Marino said the issue remained a contentious and divisive debate with many people holding strong views.
“This is even more pronounced in marriage’s role in child rearing and families,” she said.
“For this reason the Government maintains its long-held position that the definition of marriage is between a man and a woman.”