Menace absent

AS SOMEONE there at the time, I was shocked to read a recent article in which Grace Carroll was quoted as being ‘‘menaced’’ and ‘‘disrespect[ed]’’ when making a submission against the marriage equality bill. I could not disagree more with her depiction of MP behaviour during the committee hearing. I have made many submissions and experienced truly rude behaviour from MPs; but I saw nothing of the kind on December 10. The chairman himself thanked the young woman for her submission. Otherwise, only sniffles and coughs could be heard. I think perhaps what she interpreted as menace and disrespect was actually the shock and offence her comments caused. Many of her statements were a value judgment of the lifestyles of many people in the room. With this in mind, I think remarkable restraint was demonstrated.

The sight of a father hugging his gay daughter while she made her submission will stick with me. I FIND it incredible an 18-year-old even has the right to comment on my lifestyle. I have been with my partner for 15 years, I have a daughter, mother who loved me, family, friends, own a business, pay my way. How many gay people are in the prison system for their lifestyle? How many gay people are abusers of children and bashers of women? Check out the statistics before you bash us. How can she talk about the sanctity of marriage when the divorce rate and single parenting rate is so high.