The push for marriage equality received a HUGE boost this morning, with some of Australia’s biggest businesses taking out a full page advertisement in The Australian supporting same-sex marriage.
Big businesses. HUGE businesses. The heavyweight list includes Google, SBS, PWC, Telstra, and banks Westpac, ANZ, St. George, and Commonwealth.
More big names that took part in the ad include David Jones, Social Diary, Ben & Jerry’s, P&O Cruises, Foxtel, Fitness First, and the Mamamia Women’s Network.
“We have a diverse workforce and a diverse customer base,” Bruce Meagher, Director of Corporate Affairs at Foxtel, told Pedestrian. “As a company we believe in equality for all Australians. We were proud to lend our name to a cause that supports a fundamental principal of equality.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by other companies taking part.
“We’re proud to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians,” said a spokesman for Westpac Group, which made a contribution to the cost of the ad on behalf of Australian Marriage Equality. “We, along with more than 50 other corporate organisations, support marriage equality in Australia.”
“I think it’s absurd that people are fighting about whether two people who love each other can have their union recognised,” said Tiffany Farrington, Director of Social Diary. “It’s not about gay rights, it’s about civil rights. I am a heterosexual woman who doesn’t want to get married, but goddam I’ll fight for the right for anyone to. I’m lucky that I even get that choice.”
“We passionately advocate for every Australian adult to be able to legally marry the person they love,” said Mia Freedman, co-founder of the Mamamia Women’s Network. “The fact that this isn’t currently the case should be a source of great shame to our politicians. This is not a fringe issue or a small issue. This is a fundamental human rights issue and we will continue to agitate for legislative change until all Australians are equal.”
“Business leaders across Australia have signed [the letter by Marriage Equality Australia], to recognise the rights of all their employees to live and work free of discrimination,” said a spokesperson for SBS. “As an organisation which values diversity, SBS supports the rights of its more than 1,000 employees.”
The ad comes just days after Labor announced it would put forth a bill next Monday to legalise same-sex marriage, which itself came one day after The Greens made a similar announcement that they were bringing forward a Senate debate on a private member’s bill on same-sex marriage.
Australian politicians across Labor and the Greens are on board, with even Wayne Swan admitting he was wrong and changing his mind to support same-sex marriage, and PM Tony Abbott setting the conditions for a conscience vote in the Liberal party.
You can feel it. The tide isn’t just turning on marriage equality, it HAS turned and it’s banging down the fucking walls of Parliament House.
THIS IS IT, PEOPLE. GET READY.
Image credit: Australian Marriage Equality Facebook Page / Paul Faith via Getty Images
