Marriage equality advocates say that if Tony Abbott truly accepts his lesbian sister he will accept her partner as his sister-in-law.
Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, was responding to this evening’s interview with Tony Abbott on Sixty Minutes in which Mr Abbott said he accepts his sister is in a same-sex relationship, but still opposes same-sex marriage.
“You can’t draw lines around other people’s humanity by accepting who they are but rejecting their fundamental human rights”, Mr Croome said.
“Tony Abbott cannot say he truly accepts his lesbian sister, Christine, until he has also accepted Christine’s partner, Virginia, as her wife and his sister-in-law.”
“If Tony Abbott is sincere in his support for family values he will follow the example of UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, and support these values for same-sex couples as well.”
Mr Abbott has refused to allow a conscience vote for the Coalition Party room despite growing support for it from Coalition MPs like Barnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull, from Liberal state leaders like Barry O’Farrell and Colin Barnett, and from the Young Liberals.