Marriage equality

What’s the issue?

By not being allowed to marry, gays and lesbians continue to treated as second class citizens. They are being told that their love is not genuine the way the love that heterosexual couples feel for one another is. And they denied the social recognition and support that the institution of marriage provides. While civil partnerships are an attempt to redress part of the difference, for it to remain the law that gays and lesbians can’t be married is to actively enforce a two tiered society.

And what exactly is the problem with marriage equality? Simply put: fear, ignorance and prejudice, often driven by religious homophobia. Marriage is in fact a secular institution that predates the notion that marriage is a covenant with one’s god or gods. It is nothing to do with having children (otherwise, couples who don’t want or can’t have children should also not be allowed to marry). The current law tries to copyright how people express their love for each other and it is time this was changed.

What needs to change and what is Reason Australia doing?

We need to overturn that section of the Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961 that says that marriage is strictly the union of a man and a woman. You can help by getting involved in Australianmarriageequality.com's campaign.