Rally for marriage this Saturday
Thousands of supporters of marriage equality will be gathering in Hyde Park North on Saturday from midday to listen to a range of speakers before marching to the ALP National Conference at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour at 12.50pm.
The event will open with an acknowledgement of country by indigenous academic Larissa Behrendt who will be followed by Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras chair Pete Urmson and Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon.
The rally will then hear from gay refugees Clary and Walter, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and activist norrie mAy-welby before leaving Hyde Park to march to the conference.
Each speaker will be limited to five minutes to ensure the event runs smoothly.
Arriving at Darling Harbour shortly after 1pm, the crowd will hear from Equal Love Melbourne convenor Ali Hogg, Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich, the former Australian Medical Association chief Dr Kerryn Phelps, and PFLAG Australia national spokeswoman Shelley Argent.
Labor movement speakers at the rally will include the NSW Secretary of the pro-marriage equality Australian Services Union, Sally McManus, Rainbow Labor’s Senator Louise Pratt and the Member for Port Adelaide, Mark Butler.
The event will be closed by Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) co-convenors Cat Rose and Ben Cooper.
Julia has been extremely stubborn on this issue since June 2004 when she was interviewed spruking the idea of the marriage ban & it’s extra discrimination, with the comment “it’s not worth getting hot under the collar about”. Her June 2004 comments & interview are here- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/01/1086037757556.html
The marriage ban then came into effect in August 2004. Even after 7 years, she still stands behind her comments, refusing to budge, even as her party she now leads loses vote after vote to the Greens year after year.
She was there are ground zero in 2004, proudly spruking the ban when interviewed, and now 7 years later that ban she still proudly supports is now coming back to haunt her on Saturday.
Let’s hope Julia really listens for once. So far her unwavering track record since 2004 is not good. In 2004 she was publicly defending the marriage ban & it’s extra discrimination with the comment “it’s not worth getting hot under the collar about”. See link – http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/01/1086037757556.html
It is now 2011 and her public statements now are the same as her statements in 2004 in the link above. If someone is that stubborn, for SEVEN years without giving an inch, and even ignoring the charity dinner to meet same sex couples, then she is so set in her ways that the only answer is to dump her as leader.