Steve Dow argues that Labor politicians must pack up personal prejudices and give same-sex couples a go.

Labor’s latest leader has hoisted the rainbow flag and declared ”I do” for Australia legalising same-sex marriage as a matter of justice and equality. And this time, it’s genuinely personal.

Of course, I’m not talking about Julia Gillard, who during her first year as Prime Minister has consistently stated her ”personal” view that marriage should be restricted to a man and a woman. She parrots, it seems, the conservative heavyweights within her party who have forced her to fear the issue could loosen her tenuous grip on power. Gillard has dressed the rainbow realpolitik as personal.

Rather, I speak of the newly installed NSW Labor leader John Robertson, a former ACTU vice-president and Unions NSW secretary, who will vote yes for his party to adopt a policy of supporting same-sex marriage at this Saturday’s powerful NSW Labor branch conference, setting the scene for the question of gay marriage commitment at December’s ALP national conference.

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