Marriage equality opponents panic in the face of growing support for reform.
“What we are seeing with proposals to abolish legal marriage, conduct a plebiscite or block a free vote in the Coalition are opponents of marriage equality panicking in the face of the inevitable growth of support within parliament and the community.”
– Rodney Croome
Marriage equality advocates have blasted proposals to adopt “French-style” marriage and conduct a plebiscite on marriage equality as delaying tactics and panic responses.
Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said,
“In France, legal marriages are performed in civil ceremonies at town halls with an optional religious ceremony that has no legal standing if that’s what the couple wants.”
“Philip Ruddock and Scott Morrison have misconstrued the French system and seem to be proposing the complete abolition of legal marriage, which is definitely not what has happened in France, or any other country for that matter.”
“We find it appalling that defenders of traditional marriage would prefer to wreck the institution than allow same-sex couples to marry.”
“The millions of Australians who are happily married would also find it astounding that conservative politicians are proposing something as radical as taking their legal status away.”
“We also reject outright the proposal for a plebiscite because it will delay an urgent, overdue reform until after the election, and even then marriage equality will still be in the hands of politicians to resolve because the vote won’t be binding.”
“If a plebiscite is held at the next election parliament probably won’t consider marriage equality until 2017, meanwhile Australia will fall further and further behind other countries.”
“What we are seeing with proposals to abolish legal marriage, conduct a plebiscite or block a free vote in the Coalition are opponents of marriage equality panicking in the face of the inevitable growth of support within parliament and the community.”
“Every country that has marriage equality went through this kind of nonsense and came out the other side with full equality.”
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
Author: Rodney Croome
Publication: AME Media Release
Date: 9 June 2015