Leading public health organisations urge MPs to consider impact of language used in same-sex marriage debate and avoid promoting social exclusion

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Leading public health organisations have written to every federal MP arguing that there is a “strong public health case for marriage equality” and urging all public figures to consider the health impacts of the language used in the marriage equality debate.

The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and the Council of Academic Public Health Associations (Caphia) sent the letter because they said they were concerned about “the health impacts of the current unsatisfactory situation”.

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During the last parliamentary sitting period the prime minister called a snap party room meeting which – after six hours – concluded that the Coalition would continue to vote as a bloc against marriage equality until the next election. The decision meant a cross-party bill currently before parliament to legalise same-sex marriage has no chance of success.

After the meeting Tony Abbott declared it had also locked in a policy to have a “people’s vote” after the next election and left open the possibility that this could be via either a plebiscite or a constitutional referendum, despite senior ministers including the attorney general, George Brandis, declaring a referendum “entirely unnecessary”.

Abbott said he would take a plan to cabinet finalising Coalition policy in coming weeks. Labor has said it would seek to legislate same-sex marriage within 100 days of winning government.

The public health groups letter, signed by the chief executive of PHAA, Michael Moore, and the chairs of Caphia, Catherine Bennett and Colleen Fisher, expresses concern about the health impacts of this drawn-out debate.

“It is our belief that the Australian government has a responsibility to ensure that policy on marriage takes into account the mental and physical health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people. A definition of marriage that promotes social exclusion ... compounds health inequities, worsening health outcomes,” it says.

“We recognise there are firmly held views for and against marriage equality in Australia. However we are also concerned that the public debate on this issue will escalate in the coming year.

“We urge all public figures, in political, religious and civil society spheres, to consider the powerful effects of language on mental health and wellbeing.

“We ask all people engaged publicly in the debate to exercise restraint and compassion.”