Praise for Tassie

The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) welcomes the passage of the motion in support of full marriage equality by the Tasmanian Parliament’s House of Assembly last Wednesday.

Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim introduced a notice of motion, calling for in-principle support for full marriage equality and for federal Parliament to amend the Marriage Act to allow all couples to marry.

After some impassioned speeches by Labor and Greens MPs supporting the motion, including Labor’s Premier Lara Giddings, the motion passed 13 – 9.

Giddings reflected on how far Tasmania had come since 1997, which was when the state decriminalised homosexuality. It was the last Australian state to do so. This followed a decision by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in the 1994 Toonen case that laws criminalising private consensual sexual activity between men violated the international human right to privacy.

Labor MP Brenton Best said he had previously opposed full marriage equality, but had changed his mind after speaking to a mother who had been disappointed that she could not attend her gay son’s wedding.

While this motion has not reformed the Marriage Act, with the decision to amend the Act resting with the federal Government, it is a historic step because it demonstrates that parliamentary change is possible.

Fewer than 15 years ago, Tasmania condemned consensual sex between men. Now it is the first Australian state government to support full marriage equality. Politicians are shifting their individual opinions on the issue and are speaking out in support of marriage equality, sometimes against their own party platforms.

This shift in political support did not just magically happen. It has been facilitated by the campaigning and lobbying of LGBTI organisations and activists as well as our supporters and loved ones.

While some politicians and community members are happy to support marriage equality on the grounds that the current definition of marriage is discriminatory, others need further convincing.

One of the things I learned during last year’s same-sex adoption debate in the NSW Parliament is the overwhelming effect that personal stories had on the opinions of our decision-makers.

That is why it’s so important that we continue to write and meet with our local MPs and discuss why marriage equality is important to us and encourage our friends and family to do the same.

By KELLIE MCDONALD, NSW GLRL