Media release – Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
30 January 2012
“Mr. Abbott, please allow my gay son/lesbian daughter the right to marriage equality”.
A new TV advert that airs from today features real Australian families are calling on Mr. Abbott to relent and allow the Coalition the right to vote as individuals on the issue of marriage equality. Shelley Argent, National Spokesperson for PFLAG says if Mr. Abbott wants to govern this country, surely he wants to work in the best interest of all Australians.
“A Galaxy poll taken last year shows that 76% of Coalition voters agree there should be a conscience vote and 90% of young voters also agree. Previous Galaxy polls show that the majority of Australians are also in favour of equality.”
“Personally, Mr Abbott may not agree with equality for his own reasons, but he is falling out of step with the majority of Australians. As I ask in the advert, “what is there to fear?” If we hope to live in a democratic society, then Mr. Abbott should allow it to should be run as such.”
“We don’t necessarily believe a true conscience vote will be an automatic win for our sons and daughters, but we do believe it will be fair and right.”
“Additionally, this is a country where we all have only one vote each, why does Mr. Abbott think he has the right to the votes of half the Federal MP’s, namely the entire Coalition? He knows and we know that many are in favour of marriage equality and this is what he fears.”
“As parents we want our same sex attracted sons and daughters to have the choice and right to celebrate their relationships exactly the same as their straight siblings and extended family members and to have these same relationships validated in the eyes of the law.”
“Allowing same sex couples to marry, cannot impact on any other person’s marriage negatively and cannot bring our society into decline as the fear mongers claim.”
“Same sex couples ask for no more or less than their straight counterparts. Marriage as we all know is not Utopia, but they should be given the same opportunities and privileges and this includes marriage equality. And, this as their parents is all we ask of Mr. Abbott.”
In December, the Labor Party allowed its federal members a conscience vote on marriage equality but Mr. Abbott has so far refused to allow Coalition MP’s the same freedom.
The advert features parents and grandparents of gay and lesbian Australians calling on Mr. Abbott to allow a conscience vote. It will air across Australia from today.
Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/Lan_LZV_iFg
Available for comment
Shelley Argent OAM
President PFLAG Brisbane Inc.
National Spokesperson PFLAG
0409-363-335 anytime
pflagbris@bigpond.com
