Equal Love Canberra
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Equal Love Canberra: News
Equal Love Canberra is the leading group in the ACT campaigning for marriage equality. Join mailing list.
August 14: Rally and Marriage Party!
Come along and take part in our upcoming and rally and marriage party to send a strong message to the politicians during the federal election campaign: marriage equality now!
Rally for Marriage Equality!
When: Saturday 14 August 2010
Time: 1pm
Place: Petrie Plaza, Civic (near merry-go round)
Contact: Adam Rapsey on 0418 206 911
RSVP: via Facebook event.
Marriage Party!
When: Saturday 14 August 2010
Time: 9pm
Place: HUSH Lounge, cnr Launceston & Irving Sts, Phillip ACT. Marriage themed dress with a $5 door fee and themed activities.
Contact: Adam Rapsey on 0418 206 911
RSVP: via Facebook event.
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
RALLY: International Day Against Homophobia! :: May 15 ::
Media release: 15 May 2010
On Saturday 15 May, more than 200 people rallied through the streets of Canberra as part of nationwide protests for marriage equality and to mark International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia.
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Messages of support were read on behalf of pop sensation Dannii Minogue, and actor Sir Ian McKellen – who personally delivered his speech at the Melbourne rally today. Also in attendence was the Canberra Gay & Lesbian Qwire, who performed for the crowd.
Nigel Bruce led the Qwire in singing "We are the ones" – reminding the crowd that, "If change is going to happen, we are the ones to achieve it – it's up to us".
Greens Senate candidate, Lin Hatfield Dodds, reminded the crowd that 2010 is a federal election year, and stressed the importance of voting in support of marriage equality.
"We'll keep campaigning, rallying, fighting until marriage equality is achieved," Ms Hatfield Dodds said.
Greg Miller from the Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU), the largest union in the ACT, said unions were behind the campaign for marriage equality.
Two students from ACT secondary schools, speaking on behalf of Equal Love Canberra, talked about their personal experiences of discrimination. They said the young generation was "bewildered" by the Federal Government's inaction on the issue of marriage equality. They also highlighted the situation in countries such as Uganda, Malawi and Kenya, where LGBTI people were being targeted by harsh laws that violate international human rights conventions.
The crowd also took part in the Great Global Kiss-In, along with other cities around the world, to make a statement about solidarity and equality.
Spokesperson for Equal Love Canberra, Adam Rapsey, said it was time for discrimination to end.
"The majority of Australians support marriage equality, yet the Federal Government continues to uphold archaic and discriminatory laws," he said.
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Here's just some of the press coverage of yesterday's rallies:
Canberra: 'Gay couples lock lips'
Melbourne: Piece 1; Piece 2; Piece 3; Piece 4
Nationally: Piece 1; Piece 2; Piece 3; Piece 4
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
Next Equal Love Meeting: 26 May 2010
G'day folks!
The next Equal Love Canberra meeting will be held on Wednesday 21 July. Full details are below:
What: Equal Love Canberra meeting
When: Wednesday 21/07/2010
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Westlund House (Map)
Contact: Adam Rapsey on 0418 206 911
It's been fabulous seeing many new people attending our meetings and getting involved. You guys ROCK !!! And this is such a great time to get involved too, with big plans in the making such as speak-outs, public info sessions, parties and of course the next huge rally on August 14, 2010 as part of the National Year of Action (the biggest thing to ever happen for marriage equality). All this effort and momentum has put marriage equality in the headlines - making it impossible to ignore anymore. We have stepped up the fight for equality a 1000 notches. So come to the meeting, have your voice heard and be part of history.
Speak Out Against Homophobia!
On Thursday 22 April 2010 in Union Court (ANU), we gathered to condemn the bigotry and flat-out discrimination against the LGBTIQ community that is perpetrated by unequal marriage laws. We sent a loud and clear message to the Rudd Government: WE DEMAND EQUALITY. Supporters came to share their experiences, denounce bigotry, and stand up for equality for all.
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
Equal Love Public Forum: Equal Marriage Rights
Why should anyone be denied the basic human right to love and to marry? Current legislation prohibits the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community the right to marry despite the fact that 60% of all Australians support equal marriage rights. On Thursday 29 April 2010, we gathered at ANU to have a robust discussion about marriage equality. It proved to be a very engaging experience for all.
Speakers:
Wayne Morgan - renowned Law Academic for almost 20 years and "Law and Sexuality studies" teacher at ANU
Farida Iqbal - Anthropologist
Michael Coburn - Equal Love member
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
Press Release
14.03.10 Equal Love Canberra demands equality for all!
On Saturday 13th of March, supporters of Marriage Equality across Australia including almost 200 Canberrans took part in rallies to condemn the defeat of the Greens' Marriage Equality Amendment Bill in the Senate.
They met in Petrie Plaza in Civic and a range of speakers addressed the topic of marriage inequality. Speakers included representatives from workplace unions, the ACT Greens, Community action against homophobia and Equal Love Canberra.
The event kicked of the 2010 National Year of Action for Marriage Equality. Gabrielle Hitch, of Equal Love Canberra, describes the recent vote taken in the Senate as being "cowardly".
"The majority of Australians support equal marriage rights for our gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. The Government and Opposition reject this democratic advance on the grounds of dogmatic notions of the 'ideal marriage', ignoring their constituents who oppose this archaic idea being enforced on them", Hitch says.
"This is a federal election year, and is therefore the perfect time for us all to stand up and point out that placating the conservative minority who want to uphold the current inequality will certainly cost them votes", Hitch argues.
"Most importantly, for a Government who trumpets their prioritisation of human rights to deny such a basic right to their own citizens creates a climate of absurd hypocrisy which voters will not accept. The Green's Bill's defeat in the Senate reminds us all of both Labor and Liberal's bigoted stance on GLBTI families and during this rally, we will be showing the Government that the community does not support their gender policing", Hitch concludes.
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
Equality for All! Rally for Equal Marriage Rights
2010 is the National Year of Action for equal marriage rights for all, regardless of gender. To kick off this year’s mobilisations, 150 protesters rallied and then marched through the streets on Saturday 13th March, to such chants as “What do we want? – Marriage rights!”, and "Hey, hey. Ho, ho: Homophobia has to go!"
Gabrielle Hitch of Equal Love Canberra told the rally, "I’m glad that Abbott feels threatened by us – he should … Why should he feel comfortable in the presence of people he labels as perverse, deviant, and second class?!"
But the focus of fire was the Rudd Labor government which maintains the ban on marriage for lesbians, gays, transgender, bisexual and intersex people (LGBTI), “hiding behind a party line that says we queers are less, and we deserve less!”
The demonstration was lively and puts us in a good position for building the next set of demonstrations for the Year of Action. The next rally in Canberra is on Saturday 15th May. This will be a national day of action for LGBTI marriage rights, and is also around the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.
For more information contact Equal Love Canberra: 0422 913 942
Click here for photos from the day (as well as photos from previous rallies).
Click here for the March 13 Equal Love NDA Rally poster (in colour).
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
"Gutless" Rudd smothers Senate inquiry: nationwide rallies follow
On 26 November 2009 the Senate Inquiry into the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009 released its long-awaited report, which shamefully declared that equal marriage rights were "(too) controversial" to be allowed – despite the fact that 60% of Australians want the laws changed (Galaxy 2009).
The inquiry, which was dominated by Labor lackeys, did not stray one iota from their party-line. The report gave no reasons whatsoever for it's conclusions, and was a clear case of politicians putting politics before principle. The inquiry was the largest in the nation's history, receiving over 22,000 submissions.
On 28 November 2009, in response to this appalling display of political gutlessness by the Rudd Government, we staged one of our largest and most passionate demonstrations through the streets of Canberra – and launched the National Year of Action for marriage equality, 2010.
ABC News coverage of the rally.
Posters (colour, black & white) for rally.
Facebook page!
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
Let us CELEBRATE our LOVE! Rally for civil union ceremonies, 7 November 2009
On 7 November 2009, about 100 ACT residents rallied through central Canberra to support the Greens bill to add official ceremonies to civil partnership legislation, and to demand that the federal government not intervene to quash the bill.
It was a great turnout, and sent a strong message that Australians want equality, not discrimination.
Photo at the end of the rally, taken at the ACT Legislative Assembly.
... because equal love deserves equal rights.
National Day of Action for marriage equality: 1 August 2009
Photo: AAP (Canberra)
Canberra made a great showing as part of the National Day of Action for marriage equality, 1 August 2009, which attracted thousands of supporters nationwide.
It was the largest National Day of Action for marriage equality since the movement began, and the largest LGBTI civil rights demonstration in Australia's history!
ABC News coverage of the rally.
More photos.
... because equal love deserves equal rights.