It was a process we never wanted brought upon us. We knew it was going to be a hurtful campaign from our opponents and the comments made on our relationships and families have been abhorrent. In fact the drawn out 8 week postal survey on the validity of our love has been worse than first imagined.

A person’s equality and right to live freely with the same opportunities as everyone else regardless of their gender should never be decided upon by a popular vote. This whole disfunctional process will be remembered for what it was; a divisive, costly, insulting and scaring campaign on Australia’s LGBTI people and their families. The Rainbow community will never forget this period, when a Prime Minister failed to lead the nation and instead gave the bigots in his Government namely-Abbott, Abetz, Andrews, their wish – the ability to publicly ridicule, mock and degrade us and our families.

Despite all of this, we came through it. We bonded together all across the country and each city saw record crowds hit the streets to march and rally in solidarity. Above all that we saw some really wonderful ways in which our straight allies went about to show they stand with us. Painted fences and houses, ribbons on cars, a huge sea of rainbow posters and flags sprawled on shop windows, sport complexes, auto-mechanics, aeroplanes, shopping centres and pavements. We take solace in knowing that we lived through a horrendous act of failure of the Government which delivered so much pain and suffering for our community, but we know that as we lived through this we also got to see our country take a stand against homophobia and show their colourful support of our relationships and love. This may never occur again in our life time or even again at all. so to our supporters who showed their support we say a huge thank you.

To all the community leaders, marriage equality advocates, community groups, political voices and the wider LGBTI community a heartfelt thank you for making our YES Campaign as wide spread and engaging as we could have hoped and for coming out to support one another at rallies, community meetings and at other gatherings and events has been exceptional.

Equal Love will be hosting a LIVE RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT from 9:00am (result expected at 10:00am). If the YES vote is carried we will continue to dance to music and welcome speakers whom may wish to pass on their congrats to certain groups or individuals. The dancing will come to a pause at 11:30am before we gather again and take over the streets in front of the Victorian Trades Hall building for an evening YES Victory Party from 5:30pm.

In the event a NO result is delivered. We will take our shock, anger and disappointment and march to the steps of the Victorian Parliament building demanding that the Turnbull Government apologise for this ludicrous process and permit an immediate free vote in the lower house and allow our elected members of the parliament to do their job and deliver equality in the marriage act of Australia making it available to all Australians.