Equal love: why marriage is not just about having babies

***Update: 2nd April 2012 – to send your thoughts to the Senate Enquiry (closes today) go here: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees?url=legcon_ctte/marriage_equality_2012/info.htm or via Getup at http://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/marriage-equality/senate-inquiry/senate-inquiry-into-marriage — must be in by close of today. Altho you can still always write to your local MP anytime.

GetUp is asking Australians to email their local Federal MP to voice their support for changes to legislation to allow same-sex couples equal access to marriage under the law. (They’ve made it easy to work out who to write to here.)

Here’s my quickie response. Feel free to adapt or use any of it for your own email.

To the Member for Robertson,
Dear Deborah O’Neill and staff,

I am writing to add my voice to the majority of the electorate who support legislative changes to allow everyone access to the institution of marriage, with mutual love and respect as the only criteria that matters.

If it is considered delightful when an old age couple marries (where there is no chance of biological-procreation) then why shouldn’t that same level of human experience of commitment be allowed to same sex couples?

Marriage is a deep emotional, social and cultural experience that allows people to grow and be challenged in particular ways.

It is discriminatory that an important minority in Australia are denied this opportunity.

I sincerely hope you will actively encourage your government to make these legislative changes in line with community attitudes and opinions, and in line with a just and progressive 21st century society.

best wishes,
Beth Spencer

And here’s one of the most moving of the many wonderful ‘It Gets Better’ videos: