Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has cited the changing status of women over the last century in explaining his change-of-mind on marriage equality and deciding that “church and state” can hold different views on the issue.
In a blog post on his website Monday night, the Labor backbencher revealed that he’s finally decided that gay marriage should be legal, citing a recent conversation with an ex-staffer and “God botherer (AKA Christian)” like him, who happens to be gay.
“I have come to the conclusion that church and state can have different positions and practices on the question of same sex marriage. I believe the secular Australian state should be able to recognise same sex marriage,” he wrote.
“For me, this change in position has come about as a result of a lot of reflection, over a long period of time, including conversations with good people grappling with deep questions of life, sexuality and faith.”
Rudd wrote that how Christian ethics are defined should always be subject to change based on the historical context in which biblical writers were speaking at the time. He noted that slavery would still be regarded as normal if we “continued to invoke the New Testament injunction that ‘slaves be obedient to your masters’,” and that the status of women would still be undermined if polygamists could still justify their position based on the bible, and the line “wives should be submissive to their husbands” was still supported.
Rudd said his former opinion on the matter had positioned him as one of the “last of the Mohicans” in his family. “The kids have long thought I’m an unreconstructed dinosaur for not supporting marriage equality legislation”, while his wife Therese Rein, “just looks at me with that slightly weary, slightly exasperated, slightly pitying “there, there darling, you’ll get over it one day” sort of look, that wives can be particularly good at giving to their antediluvian husbands.”
Rudd’s change-of-mind puts him at odds with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who he declares “standing on the wrong side of history” on the issue, along with Coalition leader Tony Abbott.
“They are blocking the inevitable, they’re stubborn about it, we need to see them evolve,” he wrote.
“My core interest is to be clear-cut about the change in my position locally on this highly controversial issue before the next election, so that my constituents are fully aware of my position when they next visit the ballot box.”