“Inevitable and desirable” was how one of the panellists, lawyer Greg Barnes, described marriage equality in Australia. And that was the upshot from last night’s marriage equality forum: optimism. For it seems marriage equality, whether at State level or federally across Australia, stands a good chance of becoming law. (If it does, it would be the eleventh member of a sadly exclusive group of progressive countries where marriage equality is legal.)
This optimism was tinged with sadness for the discrimination inflicted by Tasmanians upon fellow Tasmanians in the past, just because of their sexuality or gender – and which is still inflicted today – admittedly and thankfully, a lot less than it was. And equally it was tinged by a strong sense of love, the fundamental reason most Australians recognise marriage equality should be enshrined in law.
