Successful launch of same-sex marriage "year of action"

December 09, 2009

The nation-wide rallies held on November 28 for same-sex marriage rights, held just days after a Senate inquiry into same-sex marriage rights chose bigotry over equality, saw people take to the streets in cities across Australia. Over 1000 marched in Sydney and 3000 in Melbourne, including hundreds from across regional Victoria.

Reflecting the fact that the same-sex marriage ban has come to symbolise homophobia today, the crowds were dominated by loud and passionate young people, the very people often confronted with the most extreme cases of homophobia. Some defiantly attended in their school uniforms.

The size of the rallies augurs well for the year of action around same-sex marriage rights in the lead-up to the 2010 Federal election. To place any real and ongoing pressure on Rudd, same-sex marriage campaigners will have to show our collective strength and hit the streets numerous times in 2010. To do this we will have to keep pushing to get more of our supporters actively involved. The fact that 61 per cent of people in Australia support the demand (and it's a much higher figure for those aged under 35) and that the campaign collected well over 30,000 signatures in only a few weeks (smashing the set target of 20,000) are all good signs, but to be successful we must translate more of this passive support into active participation.

The campaign finishes 2009 in a stronger position, with more public support than ever before. The Age became the first major newspaper to back full marriage rights for LGBTI couples. With an ever-increasing number of trade unions supporting the same-sex marriage campaign, we should now push to get official ACTU endorsement for the year of action. Many unionists took part in the November 28 marches, including teachers, plumbers and construction workers. Even the very party continuing the ban, the ALP, has felt the groundswell for full equality, with party conferences in Victoria and Tasmania opposing Rudd's position and supporting same-sex marriage rights. Despite occurring late in the campus year, we have seen the successful launch of university-based campaign groups across Australia, reflecting the strong work of the National Union of Students. And more LGBTI community groups are getting more actively involved in the campaign - the year of action now has the backing of same-sex marriage campaigners in every state in Australia, plus Canberra.

Equal Love in Victoria is now focusing on building continued support among the LGBTI community and groups whose on-going participation will be vital for the campaign to be a success. Victoria's main LGBTI festival, Midsumma, starts in January and will be a focal point of activity, followed by the start of the student year. If we are successful in getting more active participation, then hopefully the campaign can have mass rallies across Australia at Equal Love's next planned day of action.

James is the Convener of Equal Love Victoria and the National Queer Officer for the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.