GetUp! petitions for marriage
In the wake of an anti-gay marriage gathering at federal Parliament this week, grassroots lobby group GetUp! has called on the public to speak out against Australia’s same-sex marriage ban.
GetUp! has emailed 550,000 of its members with a petition to call for the Marriage Act to be amended to allow same-sex couples to wed.
GetUp! spokesman Paul Mackay said those in favour of same-sex marriage need to make their voices heard before MPs are due to report back to Parliament on the issue on August 24.
“Until we have full equality, gay and lesbian Australians will always be considered, under the law and in the eyes of many, as second-class citizens,” he said.
During the pro-marriage rally, conservative US guest speaker Rebecca Hagelin reportedly said that allowing same-sex marriage would lead to marriages between pedophiles and children.
At the same event Queensland federal MP Bob Katter said gay marriage should be “laughed at and ridiculed”.
“We were appalled to hear the statements coming out of [the] ‘Don’t meddle with marriage’ rally but know this homophobia and discrimination will continue as long as it stands in federal legislation,” Mackay said.
“That’s why we all need to be as vocal as we can, in convincing our MPs to legislate for equality.”
Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome hit out at the “offensive rhetoric” at the pro-marriage rally and said it had no place in the same-sex marriage debate.
“The Australian Christian Lobby, which often complains about opponents of same-sex marriage being ridiculed and demonised, must show it is sincere about a mature debate by distancing itself from the offensive comments made,” Croome said.
INFO: To sign the petition visit: www.getup.org.au/marriagematters
A vast majority of Young Labor, Liberals, and the Greens all support Marriage Equality. The winds of change are blowing.
“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.
I will not consider marriage until it’s an equal right! There are so many other things in the world to fight against than an union of two people based on mutual love, respect and commitment. I only wish that people opposing marriage as an equal right would use the energy to fight corruption, poverty and exploitation of minors.