�鶹��ý - Marriage equality

Socialist councillor: New rainbow crossing a ‘positive step’

Isaac Nellist — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 12:45:00 +1100

LGBTIQ activists and allies celebrated a new Rainbow crossing which was finally completed last December, after a six-year campaign. Isaac Nellist reports.

Who’s excited for the federal budget? PricewaterhouseCoopers

Liam Cross — Fri, 05 May 2023 13:00:00 +1000

PricewaterhouseCoopers is looking forward to the federal budget with dollar signs in its eyes, argues Liam Cross.

Cubans vote in favour of new family law allowing same-sex marriage

Ian Ellis-Jones — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +1000

A majority of Cubans voted in favour of a new families code that allows same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. Ian Ellis-Jones reports.

Cuba moves closer to adopting new marriage law

Ian Ellis-Jones — Tue, 31 May 2022 12:00:00 +1000

Cuba is one step closer to legalising same-sex marriage, strengthening women’s sexual and reproductive rights and guaranteeing the equitable distribution of domestic and care work in its draft new family code, reports Ian Ellis-Jones.

Same sex marriage may soon be legal in Cuba

Ian Ellis-Jones — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:45:00 +1100

A new family code that provides for same-sex marriage is being discussed by Cuba’s legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power, before it goes to a popular referendum, reports Ian Ellis-Jones.

Ireland: Women’s unpaid labour a key site of struggle for the trade union movement

Amy Ward — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 14:30:00 +1100

Following the victory in the campaign to repeal Ireland’s anti abortion laws, Ireland has entered a new historic moment ripe with possibilities for profound change, writes Amy Ward.

Ireland: Brexit and DUP’s opposition to rights put unity referendum firmly on the agenda

Rachel Coyle — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:45:00 +1100

While the political establishment in Ireland is determined to downplay the need for an Irish unity referendum, it is plainly obvious that the appetite for such a poll is growing by the day.

How we won marriage equality

Rachel Evans — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 10:45:00 +1100

A year on from the result of Australia’s marriage equality postal survey, Rachel Evans takes a look at the grassroots campaign that made this historic victory possible, and some of the remaining challenges ahead for the LGBTI community.

PM Scott Morrison: slippery slope to theocracy?

Connor Parissis — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 11:45:00 +1000

Along with his affiliation with the Horizon Church in Sutherland, Sydney, newly appointed Coalition Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s commitment to conservative social movements and the number of Christian conservatives in the Coalition should ring alarm bells.

Fifty years of fighting for LGBTI rights in Latin America

Erin Fiorini — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 15:45:00 +1000

While there have been some major legislative advances for LGBTI rights in Latin America, there is still much to be done, writes Erin Fiorini.

Pride, protest and pomp: 40 years of Mardi Gras

Rachel Evans — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 14:30:00 +1100

“Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks” shouts an iconic poster at the 2018 Museum of Love and Protest gallery exhibition.

It was the slogan that reverberated down Sydney’s Oxford Street 40 year’s ago as the original 1978 protest-parade marched through Darlinghurst, laughing, dancing and imploring others to come out of the closet and join the fight to repeal anti-homosexual laws.

Marriage equality: a history of struggle

Mia Sanders — Sat, 02 Dec 2017 15:00:00 +1100

The history of the 13-year campaign for marriage equality in Australia is an incredible underdog story, but you would not know that if you got your news from the mainstream media.

Throughout the period of the postal survey, the implication has been that marriage equality activists are powerful bullies stomping around the political playground and kicking over the sandcastles of defenseless No campaigners, such as the Australian Christian Lobby (the tax-exempt lobby group that receives millions of dollars each year in corporate funding).

Victory in sight, let’s bring it home

Mia Sanders — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 15:30:00 +1100

A pin could have been heard dropping in Sydney’s Prince Alfred Park in the moments before the result of the postal vote on marriage equality was announced on the morning of November 15.

Lovers stood with their faces pressed into each other’s chests, whitened knuckles held shaking hands, friends stood shoulder-to-shoulder and rainbow families held each other in tight embraces. Even the blustering wind that had dishevelled our stall all morning seemed to have been holding its breath. All was silent as we braced for the result.

Don’t let Islamophobia be a blight on Yes victory

Mia Sanders — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 11:00:00 +1100

It is disappointing to see our postal survey victory marred by racism from No and Yes campaigners alike, as they descend on Western Sydney, which turned out 12 of the 17 highest No voting electorates in the country.

But not only is the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant dog-whistling that shapes this assault on people who live in the west more or less overtly racist, it is also a poor analysis of what went wrong in the west.

Australia says YES! to marriage equality

Peter Boyle — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:00:00 +1100

Sydney celebrates the result of the postal survey for marriage equality: 62% of participants voted yes, from a turnout of 13 million voters, nearly 80%.

Marriage equality: the fight is far from over

Lisbeth Latham — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:00:00 +1100

The results of the non-binding voluntary survey on same-sex marriage will be announced on November 15.

Irrespective of the outcome, we will need to continue to fight not only to achieve marriage equality but to combat the right's bigotry.

Western Sydney rallies for marriage equality

Steve Warren — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 11:00:00 +1100

The first LGBTQI rights march in Parramatta since 1983 was held on October 29.

It attracted more than 200 people to Centennial Square outside the Parramatta Town Hall before marching to the annual Parramatta Pride Picnic on the River Foreshore.

Marriage equality: ‘When we fight, we win’

Fred Fuentes — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 11:00:00 +1100

I believe we’re going to win this postal survey and, probably after some period of delay from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, we will win marriage equality too.

And when we do, Turnbull is going to want us to remember him as the prime minister who gave us marriage equality.

So let’s put something on the record: This community was never given anything by Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition.

Parramatta to rally for Yes

Pip Hinman — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +1100

While polls are giving the Yes vote for marriage equality a substantial lead, campaigners for equality do not want to leave any vote to chance.

They have and are organising across the country until November 7 — the final deadline to return postal survey forms to the Australian Electoral Commission.

NTEU support for marriage equality

Kathy Fairfax — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +1100

Martin Rorke gave this speech at a speakout for marriage equality at Sydney University on October 11.

* * *

I am a member of staff here at the University of Sydney and I support same sex marriage. I am also a member of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and I'm proud that my union is fully behind the Yes campaign.

Beyond the survey, building the struggle for queer rights

Lisbeth Latham — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +1100

While the marriage equality campaign is currently focused on maximising a Yes response in the national survey, supporters of marriage equality and of LGBTI rights more generally need to look beyond the horizon of the survey itself.

This is because a majority Yes in the survey will not definitively resolve the question of marriage equality and because there are many other challenges facing the LGBTI community, particularly around legal rights.

‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’

Richard McEncroe — Sat, 07 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +1100

So declared George Orwell’s allegorical Joseph Stalin, Napoleon the Berkshire Boar, in his 1945 classic Animal Farm. In Australia, we’ve declared war on some inequalities, like those contained in the Marriage Act, while we acquiesce to, tolerate, ignore or accept many others. Just like the animals on Orwell’s Manor Farm, in contemporary Australia, it seems all inequalities are equal but some are more equal than others.

Bigots just make Macklemore’s ‘Same Love’ sweeter

Stuart Munckton — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +1100

Tony Abbott cannot take a trick.

First, Abbott condemned the NRL for “politicising” sport — for having US hip hop performer Macklemore as its pre-show entertainment for the October 1 grand final. But far from the NRL backing down, all the ex-PM achieved was sending Macklemore’s 2013 song in support of marriage equality “Same Love” to number 1 on iTunes — four years after it originally hit number 1 on the ARIA charts.

Support for marriage equality surges

Kerry Smith — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +1100

Polls released in the first week of October have shown a surge in support for marriage equality, the result of new Australian Electoral Commission enrolments by young people, women and inner-city residents who are more likely to vote Yes.

Marriage Equality: This is personal

Diana Truman — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +1000

On August 25, for the first time in my life, I helped to organise a marriage equality rally.

It was a fantastic day: we had more than 400 people for the speeches and many more who joined the march through Fremantle and the rainbow chalk art session along the way. Walking through streets filled with supportive messages was so special. It was wonderful to be a part of and hugely encouraging to me and to everyone who supports the Yes campaign.

Two things gave me the drive to overcome my lack of confidence and make this rally happen.

Why marriage equality is union business

Lisbeth Latham — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +1000

In the lead up to and following the announcement of the plebiscite, now survey, on changing the Marriage Act, unions have played a prominent role in promoting and resourcing the Yes campaign.

Senior union officials have been speakers at rallies, there have been large union contingents at protest marches and unions — especially peak bodies such as Victorian Trades Hall Council and the Australian Council of Trade Unions — have been providing infrastructure to help build the capacity for the campaign to ensure maximum participation and support for the Yes side.

Five common myths about marriage equality

Sarah Hathway — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +1000

1. Legislating marriage equality will impact on rights to freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom to practice or implement one’s personal values.

FALSE: Marriage equality and freedom of religion/speech/values are governed by two distinct pieces of legislation. The equality campaign only wants a change in the definition of marriage as determined by the Marriage Act 1961. Religious exemptions are already contained in the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. Changing the definition of marriage in one act does not remove religious exemptions in different act.

Fremantle says Yes to marriage equality

Barry Healy — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +1000

About 800 people marched through the streets of Fremantle on September 9 in a colourful demonstration urging a Yes vote in the equal marriage rights national survey. The pavements were left covered with love hearts and messages supporting the Yes campaign.

Geelong Equality Walk says Yes to marriage equality

Sarah Hathway — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +1000

Say Yes Geelong held a local Equality Walk on September 9 to promote the Yes campaign for marriage equality. The crowd of almost 1000 people, who gathered in the centre of Geelong, was very diverse and included a number of families with young children, teachers, religious ministers, unionists, students, local council candidates, local MPs and more.

Speakers included Beth McNiven, a member of Geelong Rainbow Inc, who spoke about feelings of isolation living in a smaller town and the support she has found since moving back to Geelong.

The ‘love that dare not speak its name’ is yelling now

Mia Sanders — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +1000

Since the High Court challenge to the federal government’s marriage equality survey was dismissed and the survey received the green light, streets have been painted all the colours of the rainbow as historically large protests and displays of solidarity sweep the country.

The campaign for marriage equality has been fighting the delaying tactics and homophobic policies of Labor and Liberal governments for the past 13 years.