Same-Sex Marriage Vote ‘Feels a Bit Hollow’
Australia’s ‘yes’ vote on same-sex marriage is bittersweet for some, who say it came at the expense of months of abusive commentary.
In an historic non-binding postal vote, nearly 62 per cent of Australians voted in favour of allowing same-sex marriage.
Daniel Ross, who has dual Australian and New Zealand citizenship, married his husband here three years ago.
He said he is thankful for the result, but it had been a hard-fought battle.
“We’ve just gone through months of very difficult commentary and things written about us, and things written about people I love and care for,” Mr Ross said.
“The result - even though it’s wonderful, in that it is a step forward and it is a step hopefully towards recognition under the law - it feels a little bit hollow,” he said.
Mr Ross said many of his friends in Australia were not able to make it to New Zealand for his wedding and he would consider going back for a second ceremony if the Turnbull government stuck to its promise of getting same sex marriage into law by the end of the year.
Rawa Karetai of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Organisation said it could not come fast enough.
“This is a long-time campaign for marriage equality in Australia and they’ve been campaigning for [it] well before New Zealand even had the opportunity,” Mr Karetai said. “We hope that the Australian government don’t drag their feet on this one and we just move quickly to ensure a vote for marriage equality before the end of the year.”
The Labour MP behind New Zealand’s marriage equality legislation said Wednesday’s result was an emphatic victory for the ‘yes’ campaign in Australia.
Louisa Wall, whose member’s bill to legalise same-sex marriage passed in 2013, hoped the Australian government would act quickly.
“It’s been an $122 million investment into the people of Australia and I would have thought that they just need to listen to the people of Australia and move as quickly as possible to create the legislation that enables marriage equality,” she said.
However, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned that while people have made their views clear they have to remember that MPs will have a free vote on the law change.