Judge against anti-gay message

April 29, 2008 04:29am


THE church's teachings continue to be a cause of hatred and prejudice against the homosexual community, outspoken High Court judge Michael Kirby said.

The comments came yesterday in Sydney as Justice Kirby addressed a light-hearted forum on ageing and ageism in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community, calling on members to lobby against inequality and prejudice.

"A lot of the prejudice that still exists ... comes from religion ... handing out messages of hate," Justice Kirby said.

"Things written four or five thousand years ago are the cause of a lot of hatred out there. It has to change. I don't know how it will change but it has to change."

A panel including gay and lesbian activists, health specialists and a transsexual entertainer discussed the importance of community tolerance and understanding on GLBT aged care.

More than 200 people attended the forum, titled Ageing Disgracefully, which aimed to provide a greater understanding about health and wellbeing issues confronting older GLBT people.

Inequality is one of the greatest problems the GLBT community faces in its struggle for aged care provision and those affected must be vocal, Justice Kirby, 69, said.

"It's very important that we pay tribute to the people who have got off their bum and lobbied," he said.

"As I grow older disgracefully I hope I will never lose that fire of protest."

Justice Kirby said he lives in "a world which is overwhelmingly a straight world", and that most law reforms are made by heterosexual people, but that he is constantly making people "confront their demons".

"If I were to perish tonight ... my partner ... would get nothing, although he's been with me for 39 years. Whereas if he were a wife or a girlfriend he would get a full judicial (pension) which is no small bickies," he said.

Justice Kirby said he hoped the recognition of gay partners would change for the better under the new Federal Government.

"We live in a free society, it's always changing, but we have got to give it a bit of a push," he said.