Carlton Supporters Club

The reports extrapolates figures from the USA and assumes they apply unequivocally here.

Reminds me of America pointing the finger at Australia and calling us racist!

It's a public acknowledgement that it's ok to be gay and married. The research quoted in the article makes that quite clear.

Is marriage a dying institution ? I'm not sure that it is, but I have no figures ready to hand.

The figures quoted are seen as relevant and accurate by several local organizations. I think I'll take their word over yours.

"The groups, which represent both the frontline and clinical side of mental health, say a "yes" result will "undoubtedly" change thousands of young lives for the better and avert as many as 3000 secondary school suicide attempts each year.

This claim draws on peer-reviewed research by some of America's top adolescent mental health experts, published in JAMA Paediatrics, that showed a strong correlation between same-sex marriage policies and high school suicide. The introduction of state same-sex marriage was associated with a 7 per cent relative reduction in suicide attempts."

In the USA most states require people to be 18 or 19 to marry, are they included in the figures of "teen" suicides, in Australia marriage can now be as young as 16.

The use of the term "teen suicide" is clearly designed to build an associative bridge with the reports we read about school children, but in the SSM debate it's adults using this for political purposes.

How about they leave it out of the debate, as it's clearly an issue in it's own right that needs dedicated and specific intervention!

Gay teenagers tend to become gay adults, at least they did the last time I looked. Why can't teenagers be interested in and care about what lies ahead ?

Sad really. So much of this could have been avoided had we not had this little yet highly toxic element in the LP led by Abbott, and Turnbull grew a pair... but that's the nature of slim govt, minute factions can actually set and control agendas and make the majority dance to their perverted tune.

Are you implying you are happy for LGBTI adults to leverage teen emotion in this debate?

I was surprised about the backlash to the recent "No" ads, especially given one of the mums in the ad identified as LGBTI until into her mid twenties. She attributes finding her current partner saved her life, and she now speaks about about her toxic past.

So it seems that toxic behavior isn't just restricted to heterosexuals, LGBTI people can do it too, who'd have thunk that it might be a human issue!

I've been down this road with you before. When the mood takes you, you lead all threads into a discussion of your favorite topic, namely political maneuvering and behind-the-scenes skullduggery. Whether or not it's true, it is of no interest to me. ssm is a very worthy issue, and any groups affected by it would have an interest in the outcome. It is completely presumptuous on your part to assume that vulnerable teens are being used solely as political pawns by the evil ssm lobby. They may actually be glad that their are now in the discussion, and that their issues have been given air time.

Come on PaulP, stop playing the altruistic innocent bystander.

You involve yourself in this debate this because you have a preferred political position!

There is no evil side to this debate, both sides are human, neither side is innocent!

I involve myself because I see contradictions on both sides of the debate.

I would be the last person to be called a bystander on this issue. My position has been crystal clear from the get go. The only vote that makes any sense and has any decency behind it is yes, and that, for mine, is where our sole focus should be. As you seem to have a morbid fascination and certain self proclaimed expertise in Machiavellian back room dealings, I will leave analysis of such things to you.

................. It is completely presumptuous on your part to assume that vulnerable teens are being used solely as political pawns by the evil ssm lobby......................

PaulP, don't you see you are as completely Machiavellian as those you accuse?

Who stated that, I know who it was, it was you!

Are you implying you are happy for LGBTI adults to leverage teen emotion in this debate?

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/samesex-marriage-would-prevent-3000-teen-suicide-attempts-a-year-say-health-groups-20170920-gyl2hf.html

Whatever the "bullying left" does, they must not be seen to be giving the no voters a bit of a nudge,  a few gentle words of encouragement, to get them to think that a yes vote may actually make a meaningful difference to young people's lives. No siree, we must just sit back, and let the tragedy unfold before our very eyes. Because we mustn't tell anyone that they may actually be wrong, or making a very poor judgment. Tut, tut. We don't want to upset anyone, or be perceived as patronizing, or god forbid, paternalistic. It's all about my feelings, my opinions, my rights.

As I have learned many times over the journey, sometimes my feelings, opinions and beliefs may actually be wrong, or may have been right at one time, but not in the present.

Paul you introduced the whole suicidal teenagers issue to this debate, 2.5hrs earlier, why?