Australia’s LGBTI leaders call for free vote on marriage equality in this term of parliament
More than ninety LGBTI organisations and leaders around the country have signed a joint statement calling on the government to pass marriage equality during this term of parliament.
The statement calls on all parties to deliver marriage equality through a parliamentary vote as soon as possible, calling it the most efficient and effective way to achieve this.
The call comes in light of the recent plebiscite that was voted down in the Senate, a move celebrated by LGBTI communities around the country.
“An overwhelming majority of the Australian people, a majority of both houses of Parliament and leaders of all major parties support marriage equality,” the statement reads.
“We have never had so much support for achieving this important step towards every Australian having the same opportunities as their neighbour.”
Co-chair of Australians for Equality Anna Brown said that now the plebiscite has died, it’s important that the views of LGBTI Australians are heard.
“Our united statement calls on the leaders of all parties to meet to determine a way forward that will deliver marriage equality through a parliamentary vote as soon as possible,” she said.
“We also call on our politicians to publicly affirm that this is a reform that will be decided by the parliament, and that the divisive plebiscite will not be resurrected in the future.
“We make this call not only on behalf of LGBTI communities and their families, but to ensure future generations of LGBTI Australians can grow up knowing they’re equal to their peers under the law.”
Co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality Alex Greenwich congratulated the groups and individuals that have worked towards making same-sex marriage a reality.
“The last 12 months have been particularly frustrating for the LGBTI community,” he said.
“I commend the groups and individuals who have worked so tirelessly in their own communities to achieve marriage equality.”
Co-convenor of the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby Chris Pycroft said a free vote would enable LGBTI Australians to finally celebrate the long overdue reform.
“If all members of parliament were able to vote freely according to their conscience and the proven wishes of a clear majority of Australians, we would be able to finally celebrate our country achieving this historic reform,” he said.
….and in the same way as Brexit, Trump,and Hanson happened, then if the Australian public also don’t want same sex marriage and vote against it, then it would be dishonest and manipulative to push it through parliament using tricky, sly and possibly deceitful ways, then that is hardly a victory – to the contrary, the activists would be despised causing a massive right-wing reaction (as is already happening). Marriage should be left the way it is before things go even worse fore left-wing regressive politics.
Do not blame me, I voted Labor!
There won’t be a vote in parliament because the people voted for a plebiscite at the last federal election that has now been blocked by the Senate….and so the people don’t want any other way of legalizing same sex marriage this term of parliament. For the left-wing activists to try a push through a conscience vote (which, by the way, the plebiscite is a conscience vote of the electorate so they would have got their conscience vote by having a plebiscite) is totally irrelevant and contrary to what the people want – the people don’t like elitist activists forcing their arrogance and skewed version of reality on the rest of us. There is a high likelihood that the Coalition government will get re-elected as the right-wing voters stand up against the Marxist activists, thereby stopping homosexual marriage from ever happening in Australia. The homosexual activists are dead scared of a NO vote if the people ever have a say about legalizing SSM which is why they doggedly oppose a plebiscite.
Things are changing. First there was Brexit and now Trump.
Our July election saw Pauline Hanson and her Party voted into the Senate where she’ll have far more influence than when she was the independent Member for Ipswich.
If the plebiscite had gone ahead it might have been the same ballot box shock that the UK and USA thought would never happen. So at least our political elite are keeping us ahead of the global backlash… but only just.
No point sneering bigot, homophobe, racist etc. just because someone doesn’t agree with you. That’s what got us here in the first place.