By Victoria Stone-Meadows
A new campaign aimed at politicians to change the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry has been launched with a forum in Berwick to mark the occasion.
Members of the community from across Casey attended the event at the Berwick Inn on Tuesday 7 February and heard from guest speakers about the new campaign.
The Equality Campaign is a joint effort between Australian Marriage Equality and Australians for Equality that aims to get people from across all communities involved in the fight for equality.
Director of Australian Marriage Equality Tim Peppard and deputy director of the Equality Campaign Tiernan Brady spoke about the campaign and what the group is aiming to achieve.
Hawthorn Football Club Hall of Famer Russell Greene and daughter Angie addressed the crowd on the importance of equality within society.
They also shared touching personal stories of how anti-LGBTQI language has impacted on their family.
Tiernan Brady said the campaign was aimed at encouraging people from across the nation to get in touch with their MP and share their stories.
“This forum is one of a whole range we are running around the country because marriage equality isn’t an issue that is based in one part of the country,” he said.
“It affects everybody, there are lesbian and gay people in every town and every village in Australia, and there are parents and brothers and sisters and family members and friends of lesbian and gay people.”
Despite parliament deciding not to go ahead with a plebiscite on marriage equality, Mr Brady said there were enough people on the ground in support of change that it was always worth campaigning.
“Poll after poll in Australia shows there is a majority in favour of this,” he said.
“Even a poll here in La Trobe shows a clear majority of people in La Trobe are in favour of this, and there is a really large majority of people in La Trobe that want parliament to pass this.”
While ultimately the decision to change the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry will be up to parliament, the Equality Campaign is aimed at everyday people.
“I think the important thing we can do in having these constituency events is let people know how important everybody is in making this happen,” Mr Brady said.
“Each and every one of us in Berwick or anywhere else has a role to play; your MP has to hear from you and we are getting people to tell their stories.”
“The most effective thing in this campaign is not big media, it’s when people in Berwick phone their MP and talk to their MP.”
While the push for marriage equality would mean a lot to people in the LGBTQI community, Mr Brady said it was a small change for most heterosexual people.
“It’s a simple change that won’t cost anything, it won’t hurt anybody, nobody will be less married, and nobody will be more gay,” he said.
“All that will happen is lesbian and gay Australians will be able to get married and the world will move on.”
