The Marriage Equality Bill promises what cannot be and, to try to achieve that, there is a list of legislation that needs to be amended to make it gender neutral. A “mother” will become “the person who gave birth”. Truth is, she is still a mother, whatever the law may call her.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he opted to reform the marriage law rather than strengthen the civil union legislation, which was effectively gay marriage in everything but name. He does not want to create two types of marriage, he says. But there will be two types of marriage.
The Bill, expected to be approved today, seeks to “modernise the institution of marriage”. That sounds over-ambitious. Marriage has been a foundation pillar of society for centuries.
A bond between a man and a woman creates families where parents act as role models for their children. The Marriage Equality Bill will not undermine the institution of marriage, as some are claiming. There will still be good parents, good families and good marriages. But there will be other marriages and other family structures too. They will not be bad, in fact, they may be better, like that gay couple who recently adopted a disabled child turned down by some 50 heterosexual couples.
A union between a gay couple will now be called a marriage. Few appear to be upset by the title change. They will share the same rights as heterosexual couples but they can never be the same.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna was very succinct. He said one is free to change the words in the law but marriage would remain the exclusive and everlasting unity between a man and a woman. No matter what the law says, two men or two women can never have children. And that is the bottom line.
He also sounded a warning, saying children are becoming a product, whereas, before, they were seen as a gift. Children are becoming the fruit of technology and ethical issues could follow the passing of the Marriage Equality Bill in Parliament today.
Health Minister Chris Fearne has said the government would soon introduce a new IVF law to make the process more inclusive while eliminating discrimination towards same-sex couples. Naturally, the law will not be able to discriminate between heterosexual and gay couples.
The government and practically all the Opposition are poised to vote for the Bill. The Nationalist Party was terribly bruised when it abstained in the vote on the Civil Unions Bill.
Dr Muscat, never one to miss an opportunity to play the libertarian, wants the Bill approved before Parliament rises for the summer recess. He evidently wants to divide the Opposition, whose leader is adamant to see his MPs toe the party line, whatever they may think.
For Dr Muscat’s political exigency, a law that aims to redefine the very institution of marriage is coming across as a rushed job. There is no real debate. Many still believe it is an attempt to make equal what cannot be the same.