Penny Wong to debate gay marriage on Insight

Next week Insight will host a debate on same-sex marriage with input from Labor Senator Penny Wong, religious leaders, Liberal party supporters and community members.

A strong advocate for gay marriage, Senator Wong takes on leaders from the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim faiths who argue different theological reasons for marriage to remain between a man and woman.

Wong’s stance is supported by gay couples who wish to be married in Australia and, surprisingly, an Imam who practices same sex marriages in the US, insisting that the Koran actually endorses them.

She also hears from a gay man who has the same cultural background as her – Malaysian Chinese – and is moved by his struggle for his relationship to be recognised by his family.

Insight explores the various cultural, religious and political barriers to same-sex marriage being accepted in Australia, and asks whether the new parliament will take a conscience vote on the issue, or whether it could be put to a referendum.

Guests include:

Penny Wong
Senator Penny Wong says same-sex marriage is a matter of equality. As a gay mother she says it’s “hurtful” when people say same-sex couples should not be parents. “The fact is same-sex couples already have children and denying marriage equality will not change this”. Penny Wong is the Minister for Finance and Deregulation.

Ben and Nam
Ben is Chinese Malay and has struggled to reconcile his sexuality with his Catholic faith and conservative family views. Nam is second generation Vietnamese and says he’d like to marry Ben as he thinks it would give his relationship legitimacy in the eyes of his wider family and community. But he worries about whether marrying Ben would impact negatively on his family.

Monsignor John Woods and Father Frank Brennan
Monsignor John Woods is the Acting Archbishop of Canberra. He says the Catholic definition of marriage is a union between a man and a woman with the possibility of them bearing children. Meanwhile, Father Frank Brennan, a Jesuit Catholic Priest, says although he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, he thinks civil same-sex marriage is inevitable in a secular and democratic society.

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio and Rabbi Moshe Gutnick
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio performs commitment ceremonies for gay couples at the Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney and sees no reason why same sex couples shouldn’t be able to marry or have children. Her views are at odds with Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, the President of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia, who says the Torah prohibits homosexual sex.

Sheikh Mohamadu Saleem and Imam Daayiee Abdullah
Sheikh Mohamadu Saleem is from the Virgin Mary mosque in Melbourne. He says Islam would never permit same sex marriage. Sheikh Mohamadu’s views couldn’t be more different to those of Imam Daayiee Abdullah, who has been performing same-sex Muslim marriages in America for the past 13 years. He interprets the Koran to condone same-sex marriage.

Hosted by Jenny Brockie  Tuesday at 8.30pm on SBS ONE.