Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard had a meeting with Dr Kerryn Phelps, medical writer for Womens Weekly magazine.

Dr Phelps was seeking to convince the PM and her party to support “same-sex marriage” – an issue to be discussed at the ALP national conference in December.

The PM says she is against “same-sex marriage” — and that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

The meeting was private and its outcome is unknown.

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A petition to keep the current definition of marriage, as between one man and one woman, signed by  over 50,000 people, has been presented to the Senate.

It’s the largest petition tabled in the Senate in the lifetime of this, the 43rd parliament.

And last week, a rally was held at Parliament House, Canberra, attended by 1000 people, in support of traditional marriage.

One of the speakers was Bob Katter, Independent MP.

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In his enthusiasm, Mr Katter said about same-sex marriage, “Truly this proposal deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed.”

He is on the right side of the debate, but that is not the way to talk.

Same-sex marriage is a serious matter.

The people wanting to participate in such “marriages” do not deserve ridicule.

They are not well.

They deserve sympathy.

They deserve encouragement to try to alter their lifestyle and — if possible — their orientation.

Ridiculing them will simply encourage them to portray themselves as normal people who are being made victims.