Overnight, Wodonga City Council became the latest local government to call on the federal government to progress on the issue of marriage equality.
Deputy Director of Australian Marriage Equality, Ivan Hinton-Teoh, said,
“Wodonga has added it’s name to the growing number of local governments around Australia to show leadership on this issue. It is time for our Federal MPs to recognise that, regardless of where their electorate is, communities are calling for change.”
“It is time for the Coalition to have the party room discussion on marriage equality that was promised prior to the last election and it may just be our rural MPs that are the ones to find the courage to take the lead.”
Wodonga City Councillor Lisa Mahood, who tabled the motion, said,
“I believe in a community where we are supportive of all people, I believe in a community where differences are accepted and celebrated.”
Cathy Prior, a local resident raising a family in Wodonga, wrote to the council asking them to demonstrate that her family has equal standing in her community.
Ms Prior wrote,
“My daughter was born in Wodonga hospital, we have built a house in wodonga, we pay rates in wodonga, my partner and I both work, shop and live our lives in the wodonga community. My daughter will grow up and go to school in this community, I want her to be accepted and considered no different than the little girl next door.”
Ivan Hinton-Teoh said,
“Promoting inclusion, respect and dignity of all citizens is vital and, for as long as this issue remains unfinished, politicians at all levels will be asked to stand up and call for change.”
“Wodonga’s motion is the latest but certainly not the last and we anticipate that more and more councils will be heaping pressure upon the Federal Government to respect valued members of their communities, their relationships and families, equally.
Cathy’s full letter to Wodonga Councillors is provided below:
Dear Wodonga councillors,
I am writing to express my extreme gratitude that Wodonga council consider voting to support marriage equality.
For wodonga council to publicly support marriage equality says to me that you believe that my family and family’s like mine are just as equal and important as any other family in wodonga.
For wodonga council to publicly acknowledge that my family is currently seen as second class citizens because my daughter has two mothers, and acknowledges that we deserve the same protections under the law as any other family, and that OUR community will not stand for its citizens to be discriminated against on the base of sexuality.
My daughter was born in Wodonga hospital, we have built a house in wodonga, we pay rates in wodonga, my partner and I both work, shop and live our lives in the wodonga community. My daughter will grow up and go to school in this community, I want her to be accepted and considered no different than the little girl next door.
By wodonga council voting to publicly support marriage equality you say to my family and families like mine ‘we stand with you, we do not discriminate’
Please vote to support marriage equality.
Many thanks
Cathy Prior
For more information contact Ivan Hinton-Teoh on 0419 124 826 or Cathy Prior on 0438 875 686
Author: Ivan Hinton-Teoh
Publication: AME Media release
Date: 20 January 2015