Yes victory

AFTER everything I fought for, this is my biggest win.

I fought hard for this. The passage of Marriage Equality is the culmination of what I and millions of other Australians fought so very hard for.

15,000 volunteers, 100,000 doors knocked on and more than one million phone calls. All of that lead to 61.2% of Australians saying yes to marriage equality.

Yet the thing that perhaps makes me the happiest is the sight of John McVeigh standing on the right side of history and voting yes to equality.

This sends a very clear message to our entire electorate, homophobia isn’t acceptable any more. Indeed, this entire campaign has sent a strong message to every queer kid in Groom, you are welcome.

To the bi boy just coming to terms with his sexuality, you are welcome.

To the lesbian girl who feels confused by who she is, you are welcome.

To the trans people who just want to live as their true selves, you are welcome.

While I and many others would’ve loved to have seen John do more during the campaign, he sent a very powerful final message.

I spent months fighting to bring Groom a yes vote, and while we just missed out the goal was always to get our MP to vote yes. Many said that it was never going to happen. A Liberal MP for Groom would never vote for marriage equality.

Well yesterday, he chose the right path.

I may disagree with him on many issues, but yesterday he showed why I respect him. John delivered to me, my biggest victory. — THOMAS COYNE, Centenary Heights