Australia's most well-known gay judge, Justice Michael Kirby, has urged gays to help break the “spell of silence” and continue to fight to eradicate homophobia and discrimination. Although he doubts this will be achieved in his lifetime, he said in a speech in Sydney. “But that does not excuse us, whether heterosexual or gay, from our obligation to try (to eradicate it).” Justice Kirby has lived openly with his gay partner in Sydney for the last 37 years. He delivered what he said are “home truths” that both homosexuals and heterosexuals must face up to. “There are injustices that we cannot see today that will be obvious in 20, 50 and 100 years' time,” he said. “We will not in our lifetimes witness the correction of all discrimination and injustice affecting gays in Australia, still less in the wider world.” Kirby said the dislike of difference was being enforced by certain sectors within Australia that are not likely to disappear. “Such forces include the childish desire to erase differences in humanity and to stamp similarity and identity on everyone around us,” he said. “It was this desire that lay at the heart of the former White Australia policy and of apartheid in South Africa.” “Prejudices and dislikes will, ultimately, only recede when gay people themselves break the spell of silence and stand up to be counted,” he said. He said this is what has occurred with the lessening of prejudice against non-white Australians, which is an ongoing process, far from complete. “When growing numbers of Asian Australians, Arab Australians, Aboriginals and ‘reffos' came to be known on a personal level, it was impossible to sustain the previous feelings of hate, discrimination and superiority.” Yet many gays still lead secret lives, he observed. The Justice also urged some perspective on the gay rights debate. “It cannon be said that human rights demands, based on sexuality, are the most important in the whole world.” “They are significant. But there are others at least of equal significance, and in some circumstances [have] even greater urgency.” Among these were the eradication of poverty and hunger and the achievement of universal basic education, said Kirby. Ref: news.com.au/adelaidenow (d)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 19th August 2006 - 12:00pm