Comedian, musician, and all-around gun Jordan Raskopoulos has issued a message directly aimed at those intending to vote ‘no’ on the upcoming same-sex marriage postal survey, asking them to seriously consider the negative impact a ‘no’ result could have on queer Australians – and the impact a ‘yes’ result would have on straight Australians.
In the six-minute clip, Raskopoulos posits that former prime minister Tony Abbott’s statement that “the ideal is that children should grow up with at least one biological parent” is true, but only because our society is already far, far more difficult to navigate for parents who don’t fit that criteria.
“It is not ideal to be in a family with same-sex parents because we live in a society that treats gay people poorly,” Raskopoulos argues.
“A successful yes vote will make the lives of these families and their children better.”
She also veers into the argument that “all LGBTQIA+ people and their families will become less safe” if a ‘no’ result is returned, referencing some of the blatantly hateful rhetoric which has already emerged as part of the debate.
That forms the basis for her final argument: the stakes are so much higher for queer Australians, whereas straight Australians really, really don’t have anything to lose by voting ‘yes’.
It’s a very valid, if optimistic, set of arguments – after all, it’s predicated on the concept that most people who vote ‘no’ actually believe queer Australians should be afforded equal rights in other areas – but it’s worth a watch regardless:
