Here’s a thought…
Imagine if one same sex couple took their cause up with their local MP and called on them to support Marriage Equality. Imagine if family, friends and colleagues got behind that couple and helped put pressure on that local MP. Imagine if the broader local community supported them too and, between them all, they managed to persuade the MP that their electorate supported Marriage Equality. Maybe, just maybe, the MP would change their mind. And if this process was repeated in 150 electorates across the country, we would have a call for change too big to ignore.
In my last post I gave you a recap of what’s been happening with marriage equality over the holiday, and I said I had a few ideas of how we might continue to nudge things along in the right direction. So today I’m going to let you know what I’m thinking and how you can help.
I’ve just finished putting together a petition – a very personal, carefully targeted petition (with cute photo of the kids on the first day of school) – using the website www.change.org. The petition is about Sarah and I and our family and it’s directed at our local MP Josh Frydenberg, Federal Member for Kooyong*.
You might recall that Sarah and I went to visit Josh last year and had a really useful and constructive meeting. Josh is a Liberal, in a safe Liberal seat, and we reckon he could potentially support marriage equality. I want to try to get the message across to him that the vast majority of people in his electorate support us, and support the call for change.
How the petition works is that every time someone signs it, a letter is sent off to Josh automatically which means his in box starts to fill up with supportive, personalised letters from members of his electorate. If we get to a certain number, we can follow this up and start to build some momentum, but more of that later.
So, if you live in Kooyong…
Please, click on the link, read the letter, fill in your details and sign. It’s quick and easy.
http://www.change.org/petitions/your-electorate-supports-marriage-equality-josh-frydenberg-will-you#
(I’ve just had a cursory look at my mailing list and I reckon it includes the following Kooyong residents: Sonia, Andy, Nikki, Lee, Susan, Paul, Andy, Andy, Carryn, Phil, George, Andy, Lorraine, Steve, Etty, Harald, Brendan, Ceinwen, Gordon, Mary, Ross, Susie, Lee, Dylan, Clare, Barney, Emma, Tom, Sue, Steve, Eyal, Jamilla, Effy, Ken, Jen, Lisa, Matthew, Kirsten, Dean, Justine, Travis, Terri, John, Jenny, Sumith, Elizabeth and I’m sure there are others, I’ve missed – apologies).
Anyway, that’s close to fifty which should give this a good kick start if everyone signs.
And if you live elsewhere…
Can you look at the list below and see if you know anyone in those suburbs and forward this email to them. Also, if you think you might like to give this personal petition idea a try in your own area, email me.
And wherever you live…
If you could distribute this email via Facebook or any other social media, personal or professional e-lists, blogs or websites – or use the old fashioned method and mention it to your next door neighbour, family, friends and colleagues – that would be fantastic. Thanks guys.
*Kooyong includes…
Kew, Kew East, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Balwyn, Balwyn North, Canterbury, Camberwell and (part of) Surrey Hills.
If you’re not sure whether you are in Josh’s electorate, you can click on this link, enter your postcode and it will tell you:
http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/Default.aspx
Okay, I’ve absolutely no idea how this is all going to pan out, but I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime I’m going to follow the instruction on change.org and try to ‘embed a widget on my site’. Wish me luck!
Thanks for listening.
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– Jacqui Tomlins.