Sunrise is under attack over marriage equality

Last night the anti-equality movement launched a stinging campaign against Sunrise and its corporate sponsors. Why? Because on this Thursday's show, Sunrise and marie claire will be joining celebrities and a growing movement of people who support marriage equality.

Let’s stop the campaign by those who seek to propagate hate in its tracks by getting more than ten times as many viewers from around the country to thank Sunrise for standing up for marriage equality.

Can you sign a massive thank you card to Sunrise and marie claire? If 5,000 people sign the card in the next 48 hours we'll present it to Sunrise executives this Thursday at the event.

http://www.getup.org.au/ThankYouSunrise

As the Australian Christian Lobby told their members in an email last night: "this comes at a strategic time in the debate."

In just 14 days the House of Representatives will release its report into marriage equality law reform. Soon after a vote will follow, but many MPs are still undecided. To move these MPs to vote for change, we'll need to prove to them where the vast majority of Australians sit on this issue. That's why Sunrise sticking their neck out to publicly support the right of all people to marry is so important.

Now the Sunrise team are under attack. Hundreds of emails are being sent to Sunrise and their corporate sponsors, letting them know that some of their viewers "do not propose to watch the show again".

It's up to us to prove to media outlets and public figures that when they throw their support behind this worthy and just campaign, we'll be there to show our thanks.

Can you sign our massive thank you card before we present it this Thursday?

If Sunrise backtracks because of opposition (and at this stage there is no sign they will), then it will set the campaign for equality back to a time when people couldn’t come out and support LGBTI people for fear of public backlash. Even worse, it will embolden anti-equality activists around the country to target other public figures that support equality and serve as a lesson to others to stay out of the fight for equal rights entirely.

As GetUp members and equality advocates, we can’t just criticise our politicians and the media when they do bad. We also must encourage them when they do good.

Let’s show Sunrise and its corporate sponsors that the majority of their viewers stand with them in supporting marriage equality.

http://www.getup.org.au/ThankYouSunrise

Thanks for standing up,

The GetUp team.

PS - If you are in Sydney or Melbourne this Thursday morning, come on down to Bourke St Mall in Melbourne or Martin Place in Sydney to show your support! Otherwise, tune in on Thursday to show Channel 7 on that when media outlets get behind the campaign, we respond.