It was also the year Tasmania decriminalised homosexuality.

In two decades Tasmania has come a long, long way. 

The idea it took our state to realise this fatal error in judgment is still staggering 21 years after the fact.

Thankfully, the prejudice and discrimination has lifted – to a point.

The same-sex marriage vote at times centred on the past and not the premise of the conversation.

The debate was to be on whether the Marriage Act should change to remove the words “marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”.

Shamefully, those words were added to the Marriage Act in 2004. 

Yet, the debate often went to legality of homosexuality and not marriage.

Today we have equality – when it comes to marriage in Australia. What we are still lacking is a respectul debate.

Too often debates surround social reform is hijacked by people with strong and loud personal opinions. There is so much noise that even the person making the noise can only hear themselves.   Some people would call this passion, others would call it disrespectful and closed-mindedness.

Tasmania is currently debating social reform in the form of birth certificates and gender.

Many of the comments viewed are inflammatory and disrespectful. They add nothing to the debate other than to come across as ignorant and lacking empathy.

It’s OK to have opposing views. This is encouraged. 

But this conversation must be about the reform and not accusing a group a people of certain behavioural traits, accusing anyone with a differing opinion as being a bigot or, and this is the worst part, questioning the validity of idenitfying as a different gender. That isn’t up for debate. Let’s be respectful and listen.