In an opinion piece in today’s West Australian newspaper, former Democrat Senator and OAM recipient Brian Greig said gay people would still be defined as ‘second-class citizens’ until they were recognised in the Marriage Act.
He wrote: ‘Equal marriage is now the finish line in what has been a long race for equality by a relay team of inspiring community campaigners over two decades.’
‘And while there are opponents to same-sex marriage, I find they are usually the same people who opposed decriminalisation in 1989 and the Equal Opportunity laws of 2001.’
‘Delegates at this weekend’s ALP conference have only to ask themselves one simple question: given that same-sex couples have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as married couples under both State and Federal law, why can’t they have a marriage licence?’
Greig’s political activism started in the 1980’s.
While at university he helped re-establish the National Union of Students. After a period of time working as a staff member for a number of Labor politicians, Greig joined the Australian Democrats.
He was elected to the Town of Vincent council in 1995 and in 1999 successfully stood for the Australian senate.
Read the full story on The West.
Benn Dorrington
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