Mr Gay Pride Australia is looking for a husband

MR Gay Pride Australia is heading to Spain in May, representing Australia in the contest for the Mr Gay World title. With marriage equality still not a reality in his home country, David Francis is seeking a ‘husband’ to help draw awareness to the issue with a wedding photoshoot.

Francis is teaming up with community organisation Gay Sydney Australia and photographer Katsu Nojiri for a photoshoot that will be used as part of his campaign to bring home the world title.

Francis said the campaign, which will feature a yet to be chosen ‘husband for a day’, is a light-hearted way of bringing focus to an issue that’s important to him.

“I can’t actually believe that marriage equality is still something we have to fight for in this country, especially when there is so much nationwide support behind the cause,” he said.

“The most important thing to remember is that marriage equality extends far beyond just allowing same-sex couples to have their love recognised equally to their opposite-sex counterparts, it’s about the strong messages we are sending to the younger generations about acceptance, tolerance and love.

“We need to reinforce these messages to those who struggle most in the community, those coming to terms and dealing with their sexual or gender identity, to let them know that they are all worthy of acceptance and love, no matter who they are or who they love.”

Photographer Nojiri said he decided to do the photoshoot to help promote marriage equality for Australis,

“As a wedding photographer, it’s my aim to reach out to everybody out there ‘love is love’ through my photos,” he said.

“I also wanted to deliver the visual message to the young LGBTI community: Look at these cute guys, it’s okay to be gay, you are great as who you are just like our David.

“In fact, I have received a message from one young gay guy about the campaign already, ‘Your campaign gave me confidence to be who I am and want to find my first boyfriends one day soon.’”

Daniel Matatahi of Gay Sydney Australia said the wedding photoshoot speaks to everything the organisation stands for in supporting marriage equality.

“Our main stance has always been about supporting marriage equality here in Australia,” he said.

“It’s sad to see that we hold the biggest and longest running night gay pride event in the world and we can’t even convince our own government to give us the rights to marry the person we love.”

Applications are being accepted now to be Francis’s husband for a day, with the photoshoot planned for Sydney in early April. Check out Instagram for more details.