HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY 3 Running Head: Human Rights and Social Advocacy

Running Head: HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY
Human Rights and Social Advocacy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY
Introduction
The concept of same sex marriage in Australia is one that is hotly debated, with the
government on several occasions have refused to legalize gay marriage in many different states.
Yet what remains unchanged is the fact that Australia as a country is home to many same sex
couples, all of whom tend to express their love as freely as openly as possible and require the
consent of the government in order to be able to live together legally, just like man and wife, the
way conventional couples do. Homosexuality has been present in human beings and in animals
since time immemorial (Joslin, 2017). The perception of homosexuality as something that is
perverse and which deserves to be shunned or looked down upon, is a rigid and conservative
view which the Australian government cannot afford to take, if it is to suitably administer large
populations of queer or same sex couples who are simply yearning for the right to be heard and
to live the way that they desire (White, 2015). A case study analysis reveals how difficult it was
for a gay couple in Sydney to obtain the consent of the government around six years ago, to
acquire the permission to get married. This assignment outlines the case study details and
concludes with recommendations as to how best same sex couples can be protected and looked
after in Australia, in the event that they face any discrimination from government authorities or
even from civil society.
Case Study
On the 5th of June, 2012, in Sydney, Australia, a gay couple, Sam Peterson and Michael
George decided that they had lived together with each other as partners long enough and that the
time had come for them to exchange vows and live their lives as a married couple. Sam Peterson
worked as a doctor while Michael George was a lawyer by profession. Being a legal

2HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY
professional, Michael George was well aware of the rigid stance of the Australian government at
the time towards same sex marriages. Even then, he advised his partner to take a chance and to
approach the nearest parish in their vicinity to get married just like conventional couples would.
They met with resistance every step of the way, at times feeling compelled to let go and
surrender instead of continuing with their efforts.
To begin with, Sam Peterson and Michael George were denied vehemently at the parish
that they approached, the right to be married under Roman Catholic tenets. Being devout
Christians , the couple wanted to get married by following all religious protocols and
conventions, but were denied the right to do so by the clergymen whom they approached over
the matter. Sam Peterson and Michael George continued to try their luck at other parishes and
churches in Sydney for help and support in this matter but to no avail. Out of sheer desperation,
the same sex couple even reached out to a Jewish rabbi in the hope that he would help them out
in this respect, but he too denied the couple their respect.
After facing a lot of rejections from religious authorities, Michael George decided that
the time had come to reach out for legal support on this matter. Firstly, it was decided that a
petition would be submitted in one of the district courts of Sydney to acquire a license that would
enable the same sex couple to get married under the supervision of legal counsels, with a priest
being present on the occasion as well to grant them their blessings. All the petitions that were
submitted by Michael George for this purpose were rejected, with none of the city courts being
willing to grant the couple the legal license needed to get married. The matter was taken up by
well known gay rights activists and lawyers in Sydney, who tried their level best to push the
matter to apex courts, just so that the incident could be recognized and a solution provided. What
kept coming in the way of Sam Peterson and Michael George’s efforts, is the fact that the