2010: Year of Action for Same-Sex Marriage
So the Federal Election has been Called! Now What?
Now we are well into our National Year of Action for same sex marriage rights. We have seen rally after rally with thousands attending Nationally. We have certainly made the issue a prominent question of the lips of many Australians. With the coming to Power of Julia Gillard and her reinstating her opposition to same sex marriage in the first week and more recently Penny Wong's reaffirmation of her opposition to same sex marriage, it is important that we don't just take to the polls on August 21 but the week before do what we can to keep up the pressure. We have seen many state MP's come out and say the oppose the governments official position. With a serious campaign that continues to draw thousands of people out to take a stand we can get rid of these laws. There are 10 countries around the world who now allow anybody regardless of their sex or gender to marry. Lets make Australia the 11th! Come out and march on August 14!
To find out where to march in your city go to : http://equallove.info/cities
Where to from here?
In March 2010 thousands of people marched in several states in Australia for same sex marriage rights, including Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The Melbourne rally, organised by Equal Love, brought 1,500 people onto the streets. These were the first rallies organised by numerous GLBTI rights groups this year against the ban on same sex marriage as a part of the National Year of Action. It was a fabulous start to making the issue of same sex marriage an election issue, even though it has become clear that the politicians don't want it to be.
In March we also saw the disappointment of the same-sex marriage bill being voted down (45-5) in the Australian senate, at the same time that places such as Washington DC and Mexico City removing the ban on same-sex marriage.
These things combined show why it is important to keep up the pressure – our demand can be won. But it won't happen with just hope. We need to keep protesting and insist that the ban be removed in Australia because there is no such thing as a little bit equal. With the ALP voting it down, we clearly cannot rely on them to repeal the ban without the pressure.
We invite you to join us on May 15, the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), to march through the streets at the rallies called in your state. As we head closer to the election we really need to turn up the heat and have as many people demonstrating as possible - be you gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or however you identify. The important thing is that you are there to show the government that they are the minority on this issue.
Equal Love stands out at Melbourne Pride March
Melbourne’s annual LGBTI Pride Festival was noticeable this year for the overwhelming enthusiasm for Equal Love’s campaign against the government’s same-sex marriage ban. In an event struggling to have a clear message and meaning, reflected in a marked drop in the number of participants and spectators overall, Equal Love’s campaign stood out with our strong message of “Equal love, equal rights, same-sex marriage now!”
The popularity and strength was reflected in Equal Love’s colourful, loud and overtly political contingent being one of the largest and most popular at Pride 2010. People from all walks of life marched with us, from keen first-time activists draped in the campaign’s distinctive red, yelling the message of equal rights to all and sundry, to a large posse of drag queens frocked up to add glamour and flair – but just as eager to send a strong political message to the crowd-lined street about the need to take an active political stand against the government.
Thousands of people signed the petition, took flyers for the next mass Equal Love rally and generally showed great interest in and support for the campaign. Many flew the Equal Love balloons with pride in their own contingents and throughout the crowd. Young people continue to stand out for their enthusiasm and understanding of why this campaign is so important in the fight against homophobia.
The next step in the campaign for Victoria is the mass rally in Melbourne, on March 13. We need to be going all out to let everyone know and argue why they must attend the rally, as a way of continuing to place political pressure on the government by flexing our collective power on the streets and disrupting business as usual. For those who live in Ballarat, a good starting point is the Valentine’s Day same-sex marriage rally on February 14 – meet at 1pm at the Skate Park in the CBD.
What do you plan to do?
On August 1, 2009, more than 10,000 people took to the streets across the country to demand equal marriage rights. It was the largest display of support for this cause in Australia’s history. It prompted one senior government minister to describe our movement as “unstoppable”.
If we’re to win this battle, we must redouble our efforts, recruiting hundreds of thousands of Australians to the cause over the next year. Our country is ready and eager for change — together we can make it a reality. We need your help to make 2010 a Year of Action for Same-Sex Marriage.
A federal election year
Building support for the cause in 2010 will be crucial, as it’s a federal election year, and politicians in Canberra will be more attune to public opinion than ever. We must show them — through our protests, petitions and email campaigns — that public opinion overwhelmingly favours change.
We have a raft of high-impact actions in mind, and we need your full commitment. We encourage you to sign the national same-sex marriage petition today, and opt to receive campaign updates so you can become involved over the next year and beyond.