Same-sex Marriage Bill Passed in Civilised Country

And people question my fondness for Canada.

Overnight (Australian time) the (mostly) enlightened men and women of the Canadian parliament voted 158 to 133 in favour of recognising marriage between two people of the same gender as equal to traditional marriage. Goodbye world-as-we-know-it, hello hellfire, brimstone and conjugal relations with hamsters and salad vegetables.

I find it both tragic and mystifying that I should be so excited by such a thing. Why should it be exceptional that a government consider a bill like this? Why is it even an issue? That millions of people around the world watch extreme violence as entertainment yet find a loving relationship between two adults -- a relationship that doesn't affect them personally one jot -- abhorrent is absolutely beyond my comprehension. What am I missing here?

And yet I am excited -- this really is an historic moment in not only queer history but a point at which we will all look back in years to come and laugh disbelievingly that it was ever a question... except in Australia, of course. In that future time this country will have been relegated to the pariah status afforded South Africa in the past, and largely ignored; you may not be aware of it, but it's an aim that has been formally drafted into Labor's operational blueprint. As the rest of the civilised world* moves forward into an enlightened age of actual thought, respect for other human beings and perhaps even the environment at a pinch, Australia will be reaping the rich rewards of the Howard era that saw the end of remotely affordable education and healthcare, cessation of a compassionate welfare safety net and the reintroduction of the White Australia Policy... or at least the White or Anything-Else-So-Long-As-You're-Wealthy Policy. We will have stepped out from under the skirts of British rule at long last... and straight into the ownership of the USA.

As I read about the same-sex marriage bill this morning I tried to picture such a debate in our parliament. Bob Brown would be leading the push, of course, but where would everyone else stand? It would be interesting to see the results of a conscience vote. Kevin Rudd a supporter? Alexander Downer -- where would he stand? Amanda Vanstone? (Hmmm, not sure on that one.) My money would be on Peter Costello being the dark horse, as he sometimes is. He and his brother have more in common than people generally allow.

But that day -- sadly, sadly -- will not come to pass in the foreseeable future, so for the time being we'll need to content ourselves to looking wistfully across the Pacific. Congratulations, Canada -- your coffee sucks but your attention to human rights kind of makes up for it, eh?

*Including, but not limited to: Canada, New Zealand and some European countries (but excluding UK)