A group of 21 Bendigo businesses are the first in regional Australia to back marriage equality in an ad to be published in tomorrow’s Bendigo Advertiser.
Local business owner, Jayson Tayeh, who organised the ad, said it was inspired by a recently-published full-page ad showcasing support from national businesses.
My Tayeh said,
“2 out of 5 young Australians who are gay have thought about self harm. Young Australians who identify as gay are 6 times more likely to consider taking their own life compared to a sibling, classmate, colleague or team mate. These are not nice figures.”
“As fairly-operated small businesses, we support the right for all our employees to have equal opportunities in life.”
“The message I wish to convey is quite simple. I support marriage equality and so do many regional Victorian small businesses.”
Australian Marriage Equality will use Bendigo as an example for other regional centres in Australia to take on similar campaigns.
AME deputy director Ivan Hinton-Teoh said it was a simple way for small businesses to lead the way in the community.
“We are already talking to small business groups across the country and showing them what this group has been able to achieve in Bendigo,” he said.
“If we see it take off across the country, then we’ll always be able to look back on what was done in Bendigo.”
“The spontaneous support from Bendigo small businesses was phenomenal.”
Meanwhile, regional Victoria Nationals federal MP, Darren Chester, has confirmed his support for marriage equality on local TV this evening.
Mr Chester is one of the first National Party MPs to endorse marriage equality.
A copy of the Bendigo business advertisement is attached.
For a news report, click here.
For more information contact Jayson Tayeh on 0404 174 073 or Ivan Hinton-Teoh on 0419 124 826.
Author: Jayson Tayeh, Ivan Hinton-Teoh
Publication: AME Media Release
Date: 5 June 2015