Same-Sex Marriage, Freedom of Speech and Religious Liberty in Australia – A Critical Appraisal

Passing legislation to approve same-sex marriage presents an immediate challenge to free speech and religious liberty. Unfortunately examples from all over the world reveal that legalisation of same-sex marriage may infringe the fundamental rights of the citizen. Some people have been found at the receiving end of severe persecution as well as protracted and expensive legal action for holding the view that marriage should be kept only between a man and a woman. Although the Australian government seems committed to holding a popular plebiscite, so that the people can finally decide on the matter, it is hard to conceive how such debate can be conducted when the advocates of traditional marriage have been prevented from freely voicing their opinions by intolerant ‘gay rights’ activists and anti-free-speech legislation