Adelaide Student Politics

Our darling regular readers,

Below is an open letter from AUU Board Director Jason Virgo regarding the Equal Love campaign for same-sex marriage, which he's asked us to pass on.If you feel this is spam, feel free not to read any further.

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Equal Love is a nationwide campaign for same-sex marriage in Australia. Our campaign is now in its fifth year, and 2009 offers new hope for change with every capital city (including, for the first time, Adelaide) being involved in the national day of action for same-sex marriage.

Last year the federal government amended more than 100 laws to provide lesbian and gay couples the same financial and work related entitlements as straight couples. In doing so, they knocked down a significant political barrier to same-sex marriage in this country and sent a powerful message to conservatives that reason will prevail over prejudice.

The changes have given our movement new energy. This year the Equal Love campaign promises to be bigger than ever, re-engaging past supporters and bringing fresh faces to the cause. Everyone has a role to play in building the momentum for equality.

We believe that all Australians should have the right to marry, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Together we can and must convince our politicians that bigotry has no place in contemporary Australia.

This year's National Day of Action will coincide with the Labor party’s national conference to place pressure on the Labor government to modernise and update its party-platform to represent true equality and end the out of touch ban on Same-Sex Marriage.

In Adelaide there will be an inclusive demonstration on the South Australian Parliament at 11am to promote true equality and allow same-sex marriage. Demonstrators will then march from the South Australian Parliament to the Barr Smith Lawns at the University of Adelaide. We then hope the honorable Ian Hunter MLC will be our guest speaker to address the demonstration on the importance of equality and lifting the ban on same-sex marriage. Demonstrators will then listen to music, byo picnic on the lawns. Demonstrators will then be invited to the Mars Bar for an after party later that night.