G W Bush conservatives for gay marriage

Raised as a Catholic, Sullivan knows all too well the most personal reason conservatives should accept full and equal rights for gays and lesbians – gay kids from conservative homes often suffer most from homophobia. While many conservatives seek to shelter their children from homosexuality or use religion to "immunise" them against it, ironically, they succeed only in ensuring some of their own kids spend years fearing they will be disowned. Can it be any wonder many such kids will become alienated from their families and the conservative values they hold?

Others will marry out of social expectation rather than love, and in the process needlessly ruin part of someone else’s life as well as their own. Some will suffer depression and seek refuge in quack "cures" or addictions to alcohol, drugs or sex. More than a few will choose death.

But increasingly, conservative gays are joining their more liberal peers, coming out of the closet and speaking out in favour of full and equal citizenship. This is having a profound effect on many otherwise-conservative families, who are coming to understand sexual orientation is not a choice, and that no social purpose is served by using the law to punish gays or exclude them from full citizenship.

Even the US-religious right has discovered those who fill their pews aren’t rising up in fury at the prospect of Sodom going suburban. As Tony Perkins of the right-wing Family Research Council told the Washington Post last week: "Standing on Capitol Hill listening, you don't hear anything."

Despite the paucity of debate here in Australia, Newspoll recently found 38 per cent of Australians already support same-sex marriage, with a further 18 per cent undecided. With many associated issues and perspectives yet to be heard, Australia needs to have real debate, not just some cheap pre-election stunt.

As much as our politicians hope it will go away, gay marriage is an issue that’s here to stay.