We’re so close. After a decade of stagnation and hollow words, there’s finally real progress in Australia to wipe marriage discrimination off the books for good, and it's likely to begin in Tasmania.
One thing's clear: the Federal marriage bills being debated right now in Parliament not going to accomplish anything, the House bill just failed 98-42 and the Senate bill is predicted to have failed by this time tomorrow, in part because Tony Abbott won't allow his MPs and Senators a conscience vote on the issue.1 But there's a clear way forward. If Tasmania legislates to end marriage discrimination this week, we will see the first official same-sex marriages happen in Australia. Tasmania can begin a domino effect for states around the country.
South Australia and the ACT are making real progress - and today NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has confirmed that he will allow Coalition MPs a conscience vote on a marriage bill to be introduced by a cross-party group of MPs later this year.
In Tasmania, the bill to end marriage discrimination has already passed the Lower House and is on a knife's edge in the Upper House. But we have a winning message to help push it over the edge:
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You may already be familiar with GetUp's 'It's Time' video; according to the latest YouTube views it's been watched more than 6.5 million times. It's by far the most viral video GetUp members have ever pushed out and there’s no ad in favour of marriage equality anywhere in the world that's been this successful. So as we count down to this crucial vote, what better message to broadcast into living rooms and party rooms inside Tasmania than the most successful equal love story on the web?
Our editor has just finished a new 60 second cut of this groundbreaking ad. If the GetUp community chips in, we can get it on the air across Tassie. Click here to be part of it:
http://www.getup.org.au/its-time-tasmania
The Tasmanian media market is exceptional value for money, so every donation goes a long way, even on a 60 second ad. Our media buyers have put together the most strategic buy for our money and we'll have spots ready with Southern Cross, the most widely watched network by far in the state. With your help now, they'll start booking slots for us as early as the end of this week.
A love story is universal. It cuts through politics and reminds people that we're not all that different; that love is love regardless of gender. Because there will soon be a day when people will marvel that discrimination lasted for so long; when our children won't be able to understand what people were so afraid of -- and we'll be able to say, we were there. We remember that time, but then we stepped up and helped change things. Click here to put an ad on TV unlike any other:
http://www.getup.org.au/its-time-tasmania
Thank you for being part of history,
The GetUp team
PS - We still have a ways to go, with just last night Senator Bernadi being asked to step down after comparing same sex marriage to bestiality. But we're getting there.2 Once we've wiped marriage discrimination off the books in Tasmania, we know other States and then the Federal Government will follow. It might take a while, but allowing same sex-couples equal rights in one state while they're still being treating like second-class citizens in others will be a hard pill to swallow. With your help, that ripple effect starts today: http://www.getup.org.au/its-time-tasmania
1 'Gay marriage bills face likely defeat', The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 September, 2012.
2 'Bernardi resigns over bestiality remark', The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 September, 2012.