Sydney To Commemorate Marriage Equality Vote With Rainbow Path

The City Of Sydney is planning to commemorate Australia’s historic 2017 Marriage Equality referendum with a ‘Rainbow Path’.

The 90-metre Rainbow Path is being proposed at Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills. The path will, according to the city officials, “honour the moment” in 2017 when around 30,000 people gathered on the lawns in the park to hear the results of the postal ballot and whether the country had voted ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to same sex marriages.

The footpath was renamed Equality Green and now the plans are to paint the path in rainbow colours as a permanent tribute to celebrate the day of the vote on November 15, 2017.

“This is an awesome celebration of the work of so many towards marriage equality, and an important permanent reminder of the day Australia said yes to love,” openly gay Sydney MP Alex Greenwich told Star Observer. Greenwich was Co-Chair of the board of Australian Marriage Equality that led the campaign for the legislation of same-sex marriage.

 

The postal survey returned with a majority of Australians, over 61%, saying yes to marriage equality.

 Lord Mayor Clover Moore, was present at the park awaiting the announcement of the results in 2017. The Surry Hills Creative Precinct came up with the idea of the Rainbow Path and Moore said she immediately got on board.

“I thought it was a fabulous idea when the Surry Hills Creative Precinct suggested we paint a bright rainbow on Equality Green. The path will represent both the progress we have made towards equality and the long way to go before our LGBTQI communities are free of discrimination,” said the Lord Mayor in a statement.

The idea of rainbow path in the park was first proposed by the Surry Hills Creative Precinct in 2019. Last year, a rainbow crossing was installed at the intersection of Bourke and Campbell streets in Darlinghurst.

“Surry Hills has long been at the vanguard of diversity and inclusivity, and the name Equality Green is a great reflection of that,” said Leigh Harris, President of the Surry Hills Creative Precinct. “Having the rainbow walk painted at the site will be a permanent reminder of our contribution to that historic change.”

You can have your say about the plans for the rainbow path at: www.city.sydney/rainbow-path

The last day for submissions is Sunday November 29, 2020