As hundreds of people yesterday rallied in the streets in a pre-election push for marriage equality, a new poll suggests voters in key Victorian seats strongly back legalising same-sex unions.
The ReachTEL poll, conducted exclusively for Fairfax Media, shows most people in the marginal Victorian seats of Melbourne, Corangamite and Deakin support laws allowing same-sex marriage.
Not surprisingly, Greens MP Adam Bandt’s inner-city seat of Melbourne is most in favour of gay marriage, with more than 65 per cent of voters saying they want legislative change.
This compares to only a third of voters in the western Sydney seats held by Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare and Treasurer Chris Bowen feeling the same way. Even the country Victorian seat of Indi, held by Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella, is more partial to gay couples marrying than the key NSW seats, with 49.2 per cent of voters supporting a shift.
The poll comes less than a week after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised a re-elected Labor government would introduce a bill to legalise same-sex marriage within 100 days of taking office, in a bid to capitalise on Tony Abbott’s opposition to change.
And with three weeks before election day, hundreds of people attended an Equal Love rally in Melbourne on Saturday to highlight the issue — nine years after the Howard government created the current laws, which prohibit same-sex couples from marrying.
Protesters marched from the State Library, across Collins Street, and to the registry office, where dozens of couples took part in a mass ”illegal wedding” on the steps of Old Treasury.
Among the newlyweds were Ron van Houwelingen and Antony McManus, college sweethearts who have stayed together for 26 years.
Says Mr McManus, who wore a fetching red blazer: ”It means a lot to us. Our siblings have had the opportunity to be married. But it’s a lot bigger than Ron and I. Whilst the government is sending a message that our relationship isn’t as valid … it affects young gay youth who are struggling to come out when they hear the message that somehow their relationships are wrong. Gay youth are five times more likely to commit suicide so it’s a vital issue, really.”
Mr van Houwelingen couldn’t believe the couple were ”still” fighting for the right to wed. ”Here we are nine years later … since the Howard government changed the Marriage Act and enshrined us as second-class citizens.”
The couple believe gay marriage will happen in Australia. ”I’m very optimistic,” said Mr McManus. ”I feel it will happen in a year … I have to applaud Kevin Rudd for changing his position. He says he’ll have a conscience vote and that’s great.”
Landscape gardener Emmi Menzi, 24, and beauty therapist Jessica Peters, 25, from Shepparton, have been together for 18 months and are now engaged. They feel ready to get married. They have two little boys. ”When we told them we were getting married they squealed,” said Ms Menzi.
The Greens and Labor candidates battling it out in the federal seat of Melbourne also attended the rally. Labor candidate Cath Bowtell said the ALP now had more candidates campaigning on gay marriage at this election than ever before. Mr Bandt told the crowd that legislative change wasn’t ”a matter of if, but when.”
Photos: Luis Ascui
Author: Farrah Tomazin and John Elder
Publication: The Age
Date: 18 August 2013