Rallies planned for November

Andrew M. Potts
National marriage group Equal Love is calling for the community to come out to rallies across the country on November 28, two days after the Senate Committee reviewing the Greens’ same-sex marriage bill is due to report.

Equal Love hopes to build on the success of August’s National Day of Action where an estimated 10,000 GLBTs and supporters hit the streets in cities and towns across the country. The event also featured the largest mass illegal same-sex wedding ceremony anywhere in the world.

Equal Love Sydney and Community Action Against Homophobia co-convenor Ben Cooper told Sydney Star Observer the rallies had already secured the endorsement of PFLAG Australia and Australian Marriage Equality and several unions.

“With the victories of equal de facto rights federally and parenting rights in a number of states, it shows that our campaign for equality is slowly winning,” Cooper said.

“But in order to succeed, we need to keep the pressure up. Kevin Rudd wants to push the issue under the radar and our silence helps him to achieve this.”

Equal Love ACT’s John Kloprogge said this was an exciting time to be a part of the marriage equality movement.

“The movement for change is becoming unstoppable. The National Day of Action on November 28 will represent the greatest pressure put to bear so far on our political leaders to overturn the ban on our marriage rights. It will send a powerful message that Australians want equality, and they want it now,” Kloprogge said.

“The movement for equal marriage is stronger, broader and more passionate than ever. The Rudd Government must face up to the reality that they’re taking a bigger risk by stalling on marriage equality than by legislating for it.”

In Melbourne people are asked to assemble outside the State Library building, while in Sydney the venue is Town Hall. Canberrans will gather in Garema Place. In Brisbane meet at Queens Park.

All rallies will start at 1pm except for Adelaide, where protesters will meet outside Parliament House from 11am.

Events in other towns and cities may be added over the next month. Details of the speakers at each event will be released soon.

Equal Love has declared 2010 a Year of Action for Same-Sex Marriage in the hope of making discrimination against same-sex couples an issue at the next federal election.

info: The group will hold events throughout the year and is collecting signatures for an online petition — www.equallove.info/petition — to be presented to parliamentarians next year.