Marriage ad campaign targets Tasmania

A new same-sex marriage advertising campaign highlighting the link between marriage and family is set to hit Tasmanian newspapers tomorrow.

One ad features Burnie father,Peter Moore, who wants his gay son, Robbie, to be able to marry his partner. The other features Kingston mother Jac Charlesworth who is raising a son with her partner, Jo Richardson.

The ads have been created by the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group ahead of a vote on gay marriage in the Tasmanian Parliament’s Upper House .

Spokesman Rodney Croome said the ads showed gay families are as important as any other when it comes to marriage.

“The ads highlight that marriage is about strengthening the bonds within families, including the families of gay people,” Croome said.

“Rather than being an exclusive club reserved for some, marriage is a social good which should be open to all loving, committed couples.”

The ads will appear in all three Tasmania daily newspapers over the next ten days.

An ad recently released by Australian Marriage Equality, which also highlights the link between marriage and family, will be aired on Tasmanian television in the next few days.

At the end of August the Tasmanian Lower House became the first in Australia to support marriage equality legislation.

The Upper House, which is made up almost entirely of independents, will vote on the legislation in coming weeks, but the outcome is uncertain with several MLCs yet to declare their position.

The federal Parliament is expected to vote next week on marriage equality legislation with politicians and commentators predicting it is unlikely to be passed.