November 20 was also Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day started in 1999 to remember those who were killed by anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.

Across the country, trans activists addressed equal marriage rights. A minute’s silence was held to remember those killed by transphobic violence.

On November, 3000 people marched in Melbourne. The young and colourful crowd marched through the city to the marriage registry on Spring St.

Speakers included comedian Josh Thomas, Hannah Gatsby and students Hannah Williams and Savannah Supski, who drew media headlines after being banned from going to their school formal together.

In Cairns on the same day, about 100 people rallied to support the campaign. Organiser Nick Thompson, doctor David Bradford and a representative from the Community and Public Sector Union delegates who came to support, addressed the rally.

In Brisbane, more than 1000 people gathered in Queens Park to hear speakers — including ALP state MP Grace Grace and the Greens’ Elissa Jenkins — declare their support for equal marriage rights. The rally ended with a marriage ceremony for several couples, conducted by a pastor from the Metropolitan Church.

In Wollongong, the rally was cheered and applauded by onlookers as it marched through Crown Street mall, chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia has got to go!”

In Sydney on November 27, thousands of people rallied in calling on the government to lift the ban on same-sex marriage. Breaking party ranks to support marriage equality, ALP Senator Doug Cameron addressed the crowd.

“A number of arguments have been put forward against equal marriage for LGBTI Australia … none of them pass the test of intellectual rigour or fairness”, he said.

“If our definition of marriage never changed over time, inter-racial marriage would still be illegal and marriage would still make the wife the property of the husband.”

A minute of silence was observed in remembrance of the victims of violence against trans and intersex people.

The rally marched through the city, up Oxford St to Taylor Square where Pastor Karl Hand asked the crowd to make promises to “recognise the beauty and uniqueness of diverse relationships … be the community that nurtures and values peoples choices”, and to “grow as a community to support each others relationships.”

The rally concluded with a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” performed by drag act Joyce Magnge.

Victory in sight for equal marriage rights

Saturday, November 27, 2010

The success of Greens MP Adam Bandt’s marriage equality motion in federal parliament, which called on MPs to take the issue back to their electorates, shows how successful our grassroots movement has been.

We’ve forced the Gillard Labor government to back away from its ridiculous discriminatory policy of denying equal marriage rights.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard now says the official ALP policy, which says marriage can only be between a man and a woman, should be looked at again at Labor’s next national conference. She wants to bring the conference forward to December 2011.

ALP policy is totally out of touch with most views in Australia.

An October 22 Galaxy poll, commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality (AME) and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), found a rise in support for marriage equality. Sixty-two percent of Australians supported the reform, up from 60% last year. Seventy-eight percent supported a conscience vote on the issue.

A Herald/Nielson poll released on November 22 showed 57% of those polled “support the legalisation of same-sex marriage” and only 37% opposed it.

Resisting the calls for marriage equality is like trying to hold back the tide of history.

This is a democratic right that should have been recognised by government and the law a long time ago. Ten other countries have recognised this right already.

Even Labor right-wing faction leader Mark Arbib said in an interview with the November 6 Weekend Australian: “If I was the parent of a gay son or daughter I don’t know how I could tell them they didn’t have the same rights as I do.”

The vote in parliament is an advance, but we haven’t won the fight yet. Our battle is still not over, but victory is in sight.

Full marriage equality is within reach of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex couples if we keep on rallying and agitating.

This is why the movement is continuing to mobilise. We need to ramp up the pressure. We need bigger and bigger turnouts than ever at these rallies.

Rachel Evans