The Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee has set the deadline for submissions for the Inquiry into the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009. The NSW Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) now urges all who believe in civil marriage equality, to make a submission to ensure our community’s voices are heard prior to the 28th of August deadline.

“The Senate Committee needs to be told that now is the time to amend the definition of a marriage from a “union between a man and women” to a “union between two persons” which would give all couples the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity in Australia. We must also urge the Committee to recommend removing the discrimination in section 88EA of the Marriage Act 1962 (Cth) which currently bans the recognition of overseas same-sex marriages in Australia” states Benjamin Keats, Co-Convenor of the GLRL.

To assist community members to make a submission, the GLRL has developed an online form that is easy to complete and will automatically be sent to the inquiry committee. All you need to do is include your personal details and write your own submission in the fields provided.

“You can write three lines or twenty pages, what is important is that the government now hears your voice. Nearly 300 submissions have already been made through the GLRL website in the past week, the community should now make use of the extension of time granted by the Senate Inquiry to ensure thousands more voices stand up for civil marriage equality”, states Benjamin Keats.

The GLRL website provides information on the current laws on same-sex marriage in Australia, and reasons for supporting same-sex civil marriage which may help community members to write their own submission.

“The Government can no longer in good conscience ignore the fact that the majority of Australians now support same-sex civil marriage. Same-sex couples in Australia now have all the same rights and responsibilities of heterosexual couples as of July 1, 2009, with the glaring exception of marriage.  The Federal Government needs to step in line with other countries and stop discriminating against our relationships, and stop treating us as second class citizens.  All love is equal and we deserve the same right to celebrate our love in front of friends and family under the law” states Emily Gray, Co-Convenor of the GLRL.

Take action on marriage equality now by clicking here.