Have LGBT community efforts led to a considerablely weakened Christian Right effort against Sue Bradford's Section 59 Repeal Bill? What does this have to do with us, one might ask. Lesbian feminists have had longstanding involvements within the child protection profession. Added to which, this particular political initiative is the first real test of opposition to the Christian Right during this political term, and will disclose what condition they might be in for later reform initiatives, like transgender inclusive anti-discrimination laws and adoption reform legislation. It has strategic significance to us. With the Bradford Bill, the Christian Right is facing one of its worst nightmares. What do they do when professional opinion is heavily stacked in favour of repeal legislation? Simply, the answer is: what Christian Right? Family Integrity, Christian News, Garnet Milne and SPCS are plugging away there still, but there are severe constraints on the opposition. The Maxim Institute put together an anemic looking brief guide to the private members bill in question, without even providing background information, or links to anti-repeal websites. Conservative Catholics are nowhere to be seen, preferring to prioritise their anti-euthanasia activities. Moreover, there are geographical limitations. Family Integrity/Christian News are based in Palmerston North, while Garnet Milne squats malignantly in Wanganui, as minister of the Reformed Fellowship of that provincial city, and opposition seems website-based and virtual. Unlike the Civil Union Act debate, there have been no public meetings, no anti-repeal petitions, or even widespread distribution of anti-repeal propaganda. If there is a public presence, it belongs to the children's health and welfare groups that dominate the debate. They have distributed pro-repeal brochures, and and have attracted support from the Body Shop, now distributing a pro-repeal petition. Bluntly, the Christian Right response has been pathetic. Because they lack anyone credible with experience in pediatrics or developmental psychology, there has been resort to predictable populist attacks on pro-repeal medical professionals as members of a sinister 'elite' opposed to 'traditional families,' who are attacking the parental 'right' to belt kids. Again, this is significant to us. Pediatric and child development specialists will also be relevant to LGBT debates around adoption law reform, when our time finally arrrives. Then there's the inevitable conspiratorial approach, in which an unrepresentative group of 'activists' has seized control of pro-repeal child health and welfare groups. No, pro-repeal child health and welfare groups are basing their case on coalface professional practice, and evidence-based research derived from that practice. No matter, National's so-called 'family' spokesperson, Judith Collins, is once again pandering to the fundamentalist lobby over this issue. "Parenting is not an academic issue," she whines. Sue Bradford and Ruth Dyson replied that if she wasn't going to listen to professional pro-repeal opinion, then what did she base her opinions on? One can only hope that John Key abolishes this ridiculous shadow portfolio when he takes over as Leader of the Opposition, if all Collins will ever do is listen to unrepresentative social conservative lobby groups, and ignore evidence and practice-based professional research on family policy issues. Including ours. I still predict that the Christian Right will lose this one. There's nothing like the opposition that existed to either the decriminalisation of sex work or LGBT relationship recognition. And if it works for Section 59 Repeal, then what about Georgina's transgender protection bill, and eventual inclusive adoption law reform? Giventhis bill'simportance as an index of the strength of the Christian Right, I recommend that there is an influx of LGBT supporters who support Bradford and reform proponents throughout this process. Write submissions and support her bill. Recommended: www.greens.org.nz If you want to help Sue Bradford's repeal efforts, email her at: sue.bradford@parliament.govt.nz Not Recommended: www.familyintegrity.org.nz www.christiannews.co.nz www.reformationtestimony.org.nz www.section59.com www.spcs.org.nz Craig Young - 25th February 2006