Dear Australia - Where's the Love?

Photo from the May '12 Equal Love Rally in Brisbane

Dear Julia Gillard, and other members of authority in Australia,

This week, we watched Barack Obama as he was reelected as the President of the United States. Many people, like I, spent the day glued to their televisions, while American political analysts told us what each state’s electoral vote meant for the two main candidates. The election was important to all of us, all around the world; the US government has influence on governments everywhere.

When President Obama announced his support for marriage equality, leaders worldwide followed suit. And you, Ms Gillard? You maintained your staunch silence on the issue.


In fact, you come across as not supporting it. A lot of us don’t really know why; you’re happy to stand up against sexism, aren’t you? You’re an atheist, so it can’t be religious belief. So why do you believe that marriage should be kept traditional?

Theories suggest that you are working to your voters. But which voters are they? A whopping sixty-two percent of people living in Australia support marriage equality. Considering you've made it into a position of leadership in this country, is it not likely that a large proportion of your voters are in that boat?

In fact, I think the fact sheet I linked you to earlier even went into depth there. Seventy-four percent of your voters support marriage equality. Eighty percent of your voters support a conscience vote on the matter. That's- and perhaps my maths could possibly be a little wrong here- but, isn't that over half of Australia?

Ms Gillard, you need to speak up about this. You need to put your support in the right place, or at least explain to us all why you don't support it. Gay, straight, black or white, marriage is a human right- read article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and, in case that wasn't made clear enough, 2. Everyone has the right to marry, and no one can discriminate based on race, gender, or sexuality.

While Australia has had issues with human rights in the past (and to a point, still does), it's 2012. Shouldn't we be moving forward? 

Ms Gillard isn't the only politician who needs to sort out their priorities in Australia.

Tony Abbott, you have quite the reputation as someone who opposes marriage equality only marginally more than you oppose refugees seeking asylum. Funnily enough, both of those things are basic human rights. I don't know much about you, if I'm being totally honest. But I do know that you have a friend who is gay, and a lesbian sister. And yet, you're as staunch as the Prime Minister on your anti-gay marriage stand, without offering an explanation (other than the whole “traditional marriage” thing, but really? That’s not valid anymore, because even opposite-sex marriage is no longer traditional).

People are quick to judge, when someone disagrees with marriage equality. Those who oppose it are considered homophobic, just as anyone who used to oppose inter-racial marriage were considered racist. And unless someone can justify their reasoning for their disagreement, I believe the assumption may be an accurate one. Homophobia is a culture; it will continue to grow. One person's lack of support for marriage equality feeds that of ten more- and whether that is presented in the assault of groups of LGBTQ people for their sexualities, or the denying of equal rights, it is dangerous.

Where politicians do not explain their lack of support for this issue, I immediately consider them to be homophobic. If you do not have a reason, you should not be making decisions on the topic- especially if it does not concern you.

When LGBTQ people are truly equal, the homophobia will end with the discrimination. Society needs to step forward and allow it to happen, before another generation of LGBTQ individuals grow into a world which will destroy them for who they are. It is 2012, and we are so close already. But we still hear stories every day about people from our community, who are attacked on the basis of their sexualities, who are fired when they come out, or who kill themselves as a result of the bullying they have faced for who they love.

Seventy-five percent of Australians think that marriage equality is inevitable. Seventy-eight percent would like to see a conscience vote on the matter (looking at you, liberal party). So why is the government holding it back?

Support Proposition ∞! Robosexuals can marry too! (S)

I strongly urge the senate to hold a referendum on the matter. Politicians do not represent every idea and opinion in a country, and it has already been proven that the majority of people support marriage equality- we just have the wrong people in government. The issue of marriage equality is a highly debated one, and by restricting us to your opinions, you lean towards blocking yet another human right- freedom of speech.

Australia, I implore you to keep up your support, attend a marriage equality rally, do something to show the people in charge of this country that this discrimination is not okay. You don't have to be queer to stick up for queer rights.