In an echo to one of the rally cries of the early days of the “Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras”, one of the chants at yesterday’s Marriage Equality Rally in Sydney yesterday was “get out of the bars and onto the streets”. When I heard this, I smiled, reflecting on the closure of many gay bars in Sydney, which may be largely due to the different ways in which people meet these days. “Get off your phone, and into the bars”, I joked to a mate on SMS might be a more appropriate catch-cry now.
Also, yesterday, an older woman I spoke to reflected on the early days of Mardi Gras, when police on horses, turned on the crowd. In contrast, yesterday’s rally and march was peaceful, and the police seemed largely supportive. “So much has been achieved in the last forty years, but this is not the end of it”, one of those speaking said in relation to marriage equality.
Here’s some photographs I snapped.
I am in disbelief that our elected officials still think it is ok to have inequality on our society. I want the right to marry my future loved one, as my siblings have. My mate DC wants the right to say no to an archaic institution ;-)
A big rally here later this month. We will attend if not otherwise busy, not that I want to get married.
Was with some friends the other night, all over 60/70 expressing their disinterest/concern about the plebiscite. “I’ll vote no. I’ll boycot” they said, because they didn’t support the concept of marriage, or thought we were being shortchanged.
“Well, let’s be honest, none of you is likely to get married anytime soon, so why don’t you support the kids who want to?”, I said.
Seemed like a wake up call to them. The kids are the future, so let’s leave it to them, and support them, I say.
No one from the “no” case will ever change their mind on the “what”, as we saw with the 1999 referendum, whereas those on the “yes” side are likely to split on the “how”.