Marriage ‘will happen in 2012’

Marriage ‘will happen in 2012’

Marriage equality advocates are confident 2012 will see Australian law rewritten to recognise same-sex marriage.

Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich made the prediction based on the ‘unstoppable momentum for reform’ in 2

011.

“It’s clear a majority of Australians support marriage equality, with this acceptance of reform being reflected in 2011’s campaign successes, including the federal Labor Party joining the Tasmanian and ACT Governments in formally endorsing marriage equality,” he said.

“The success of the marriage equality campaign in 2011 shows that in 2012 we will have a real chance to make history and deliver a reform that is supported across the nation.

“In the first three months of 2012 we will focus on securing a Coalition conscience vote and then achieving majority support in parliament.

“We will do this by sharing the powerful personal stories of couples and families that have already lead to so many people opening their hearts and minds to marriage equality.

“We will also provide MPs with irrefutable scientific evidence of the positive impact marriage equality will have in the form of psychological, sociological, and economic studies.”

Greenwich is also preparing to join three same-sex couple for dinner with Prim Minister Julia Gillard on February 21.

READ MORE: Gillard sets dinner date

The dinner, purchased by GetUp! for $31,000 in early 2011, will take place at the Lodge.

Greenwich said the dinner would be used to thank Gillard for allowing a real debate at the ALP National Conference and to share stories about why marriage was important to same-sex couples and their families and friends.

He said it would also be used to assure the Prime Minister that advocates understood the importance of churches being able to marry or not marry couples in accordance with their faiths.

“The Prime Minister like many Australians is continuing the conversation on marriage equality,” Greenwich told the Star Observer.

“We look forward to sharing with her the important meaning marriage has to us, our families and our communities.

“We also look forward to addressing any concerns she may have about the proposed legislation and give her the assurance that we share her concern and respect for the freedom of religion.”

READ MORE: Marriage may improve your health

Greenwich said a world-renowned expert on the impact of marriage equality, US-based economics professor Lee Badgett, will come to Australia in February to present her research on the positive personal, social and financial impacts of marriage equality to federal and state politicians.

“We will widen our lobbying program so that federal MPs can hear from psychologists, clergy, civil celebrants and all those with a story to tell about the importance for marriage equality,” he said.

“We will also extend our program of marriage equality workshops to educate and empower advocates in key federal electorates.”

As well as the dinner and Badgett’s arrival in Australia, there are a number of other marriage equality events in the first quarter of the new year. these include the Equality Dinner fundraiser in Sydney on January 25; a marriage equality workshop in Wollongong on February 5; a benefit in Melbourne on February 11 for Rev Matt Glover who was sacked by the Baptist Church for supporting marriage equality.
Marriage Equality is also expected to feature heavily in the 2012 Midsumma and Mardi Gras Celebrations.

PHOTO GALLERY: Marriage petition handover

PHOTO GALLERY: Marriage Rally #1

PHOTO GALLERY: Marriage Rally #2

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8 responses to “Marriage ‘will happen in 2012’”

  1. Now it is 2014, two years later and still fucking debating this gay marriage thing in Australia – while UK*, half of the states in both US and Mexico, Canada, NZ, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, South Africa, Portugal, Denmark, Brazil, Argentina, New Caledonia and Luxembourg already legally allow gay marriage now!

    * Not including Northern Ireland.

    Last time I checked the calendar it is 2014, not 1914 (according to Tony Abbott’s world). Come on Australia wake up, time to move on from this debate and join the rest of the western world and legally allow gay marriage now in 2014!

  2. I need to to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it.
    I have you saved as a favorite to look at new stuff you post…

  3. also….could anyone explain to me how spending $31,000 on a lunch with jooliar is money well spent? Damn, that is a lot of donation money

  4. “Greenwich said the dinner would be used to thank Gillard for allowing a real debate at the ALP National Conference”

    WTF is that about? I don’t think so, I just don’t think so.

    This person has put off that dinner for months – when it was specifically guaranteed to be within certain time frame – You can be that if the the christian fundamentalists had won the auction she would have had her far arse at that lunch post haste. What should have happened is that they should have demanded the $31,000 back – and used it for something else.

    We are not children that do not understand that the conscious vote was not a victory. We do not need people trying to make it look like it was. It was nothing more than a political stunt – a stunt to attempt to placate us and save labor at the next election.

  5. To quote from an Anglican Arch-Bishop, and someone who really understood discrimination.

    “To penalise someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalised for something which we could do nothing [about] — our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.” Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeLDsBPSzYg&feature=related