This month marked the third anniversary of the federal government defining marriage as between a man and a woman and effectively banning same sex marriages. On August 14, in protest of that ban, approximately 50 protestors attended a rally on the steps of Parliament. A series of speeches by community group leaders and local politicians Giz Watson and Hon. Louise Pratt were followed by what organiser Kitty Hawkins referred to as ‘a big gay dance party’ on the steps of Parliament house.
Opening speaker Giz Watson said the issue was about ‘the ability to express not only our full commitment to our partners, but also all the legal rights that flows from the ability to be married or have a civil union.’
She continued on, declaring that while things were improving, there was still much work to be done. ‘I encourage you all to continue to fight for equality. I think it’s a fight that has to be won – it is only a matter of time, but it is going to take a lot of work. It took a lot of work to get the law reform we have.’
Aram Hosie, speaking on behalf of WA Gender Project said that the issue was not just about gay rights, but also about the rights of those within the trans* and intersex communities. He urged the entire GLBTI community to advocate for the rights of the entire community as federal elections approached.
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Note: In the print version of this story, OiP mistakenly reported that the rally protested the tenth anniversary of the same sex marriage ban. It was, however, the third anniversary, not the tenth.
