Demands for marriage rights get louder

by Millicent Caffrey
Posted: Thursday, 2 December 2010

Hundreds gathered to rally for marriage equality at Town Hall last Saturday, an event organised by Community Action Against Homophobia, a grass roots organisation which relies solely on the donations of mainly union and student groups. The rally came days after an ALP conference in the Northern Territory which passed a motion supporting alterations to the Commonwealth Marriage Act, increasing the demand for same sex equality in all states and at a federal level.

The rally challenged PM Julia Gillard’s repetitious stance on marriage as only appropriate between a man and a woman. The speakers included Aunty Shirley, an Aboriginal activist, who emphasised how solidarity between the LGBT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) and Aboriginal people is fundamental in advancing the rights of each group.

“Julia Gillard is a hypocrite because she is living in ‘sin’ and not allowing you to marry,” Aunty Shirley said. “And as for us blackfellas, we don’t discriminate against anyone… we are the custodians of this country. We will not stand by and let other people be treated as badly as us blackfellas were.”

Spokesperson for the Organisation Intersex International, Gina Wilson, then took the stage and stated that the main reason marriage equality is denied to the LGBT community is because of “fear from a minority of people”. Ms Wilson also highlighted increasing incidents of self harm and suicide, stating, “thirty percent of transgender people have attempted to take their own lives”.

NSW ALP Senator Doug Cameron articulated how his views differ to the official stance of Labour. “All Australians have the right to marry. Gay commitment ceremonies are not alternatives to marriage”. He also argued that none of the cases against marriage equality “pass the test of intellectual fairness”.

Following the rally, overwhelming numbers of diverse individuals marched from Town Hall to Oxford Street in support of marriage equality, emphasising Mr Cameron’s argument that the concept of marriage must change with the times. “There has never been a permanent definition of marriage. If ideas of marriage had not changed, then inter race unions would still be illegal.”