Marriage Equality and the once quintessential rough, tough wild-west Outback mining town of Broken Hill shape as odd bedfellows, but a Mayoral plan to seduce the Silver City with ‘pink’ tourism dollars is gaining traction.
“It’d be great for the city if we were to become the first (to host an Australian same-sex marriage),” Broken Hill Mayor Wincen Cuy enthused.
“Given our Priscilla (Queen of the Desert) background and knowing we have a very active gay community here, you’d go: ‘why not?'” Mayor Cuy added.
The gay son of Broken Hill’s greatest artistic trailblazer, the late Pro Hart, says same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue for him and his partner of 10 years Chris.
“Quite recently Chris had a bad accident on his motorcycle and was in a coma at Royal Adelaide Hospital (and) technically I’m not next of kin,” John Hart explained.
“Why should I not have the same rights in death, the same rights in property transfers?
“For me it’s removing discrimination on all that legal side of it which I think is important because people don’t realise what could happen,” Mr Hart continued.
Parish Administrator of Broken Hill’s Catholic Church, Fr Danny Meagher, says same-sex marriage is a mute point until legislation is passed to make it legal.
“Personally – and certainly church teaching – is that we are not in favour of marriage equality,” Fr Danny said.
“I appreciate and I honour the people who are in favour of marriage equality on the basis that they think it is equality, it’s just, and that gay people ought to be respected as much as anyone else – I couldn’t agree more.
“If it’s the law and the law allowed it … I’d pray to God for them all, ask for God’s blessing for them all, but it’s not something I would agree with,” Fr Danny added.
Acknowledging the Broken Hill economy’s reliance on tourism dollars, Fr Danny said he understood Mayor Cuy’s position.
“I’m all for boosting tourism in Broken Hill, anything that can help the economy is good,” Fr Danny said.
“I’d rather see Broken Hill make some dollars out of something that is stronger and better for the Australian society, but that is totally up to them.”
$2 billion windfall
Marriage equality advocates have estimated a near $2 billion tourism and retail boom on the back of legalising same-sex marriage.
The 2011 census identified 33,714 same sex defacto couples living in Australia and using the $54,294 average cost of a heterosexual wedding that would generate a $1.8b surge in spending.
Two Australian men were among the first to be legally wed this week in New Zealand – which is one of almost 20 countries which have legalised gay marriage.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell have urged the issue to be decided by conscience votes, while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott supports the traditional definition of marriage and came under fire last week for dismissing same-sex marriage as “the fashion of the moment”.
At last night’s 2013 election forum for the local seat of Farrer, just one of the seven candidates – the Green’s Chris Sobey – supported gay marriage.
“It’s a bit outside the box, I think it’s a brilliant idea, sort of the Vegas of the western region of New South Wales in a way,” John Hart remarked about the Mayor’s ‘Pink City’ campaign.
“Why not, we’ve got the Priscilla bus and hopefully that is going to be on display at the Palace (Hotel) … it could bring some much needed cash into the economy.
“People who live here now, live here because they choose to live here and there is definitely an attitudinal change in the community.
“It’s much more Bohemian, it’s more accepting of differences in people and we’ve got some incredible characters in the town,” Mr Hart remarked of Broken Hill, circa 2013.
Author: John Casey
Publication: ABC Broken Hill
Date: 22 August 2013