By Jordan Hirst

Former High Court judge Michael Kirby was among many who voiced their support of same-sex marriage before a federal inquiry into the issue earlier this month.

He told the inquiry that the inability to marry his partner of 43 years, Johan Van Vloten, makes him feel like a "second-class citizen."

“I rose to be one of the significant judicial citizens of this country, but I was always a second-class citizen," Kirby said. "I am still a second-class citizen."

“I have never had a satisfactory explanation made to me of how my loving relationship of 43 years with my partner has in any way damaged the institution of marriage or would, if marriage were available to us, damage that relationship, diminish it or degrade it in any fashion whatsoever,” he said.

“On the contrary, I would respectfully suggest that securing access to marriage entitlements would encourage stable relationships.”

The inquiry was held by a Senate committee to hear from supporters and opponents of Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young's Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 which grants all couples, regardless of sex, sexuality and gender identity, the ability to marry.

Representatives from religious, legal, medical and LGBTI groups appeared at two days of hearings in Sydney on May 3 and Melbourne on May 4.

PFLAG national spokesperson Shelley Argent appeared at the inquiry to express her support for Senator Hanson-Young's bill.

"Homosexuality is a natural sexual orientation," she said. "Our children are born homosexual, not made, and they have the same human emotions, wants and needs as our heterosexual children, one of these being the choice and right to marry the person they love."

Law experts told the inquiry that they believe Senator Hanson-Young's bill could withstand legal scrutiny in the High Court.

“If the bill was to reach the High Court, there is a strong argument that it would survive constitutional challenge,” Associate Law Professor Dr Dan Meagher from Deakin University told the inquiry.

“In the event that legislation was enacted, it is the democratic decision of the Australian parliament, and therefore the Australian people, that same-sex marriage is considered moral and legitimate,” he said.

Religious leaders appeared before the inquiry to voice their opposition to same-sex marriage.

"Marriage is a union that is publicly recognised and treated as special, distinguished from other types of relationships because of its unique capacity to generate children and to meet children's deepest needs for the love and attachment of both their father and their mother," said Christopher Meney, from the Catholic Archdiochese of Sydney.

Other religious leaders involved in the inquiry expressed support for same-sex marriage.

The Very Reverend Dr Peter Catt, from Brisbane’s St John’s Anglican Cathedral, made a submission to the inquiry supporting the same-sex marriage bill.

 “I support the proposed Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 because it removes discrimination, affords equal rights to same-sex and heterosexual couples in marriage, and recognises our pluralistic society,” he wrote, stating his submission was a personal one and did not reflect the views of his church.

Senator Hanson-Young reiterated the core goals of her bill at a media conference in Melbourne.

“We’re in Australia in 2012, and overwhelmingly our community believes that regardless of one’s sexuality, people are equal and that same-sex couples being given the same rights as other couples to marry the person they love in the country they love is an issue of equality,” she said.

A final report summarising the inquiry is due on June 6 and will influence further progress of same-sex marriage in Australia.