Sydney street artist Scottie Marsh is no stranger to political protest via street art. He’s just as likely to beautify our laneways with Malcolm Turnbull shaking hands with Simpsons mob boss Fat Tony as he is to beautify our pubs with Aussie icons.
His latest piece to grace our streets is pure fire push for marriage equality, featuring former Prime Minister and marriage equality opponent Tony Abbott marrying none other than himself, wedding dress and all.
Marsh painted it yesterday, while 30,000 people came together in the largest public show of support for same-sex marriage in Australian history.
“Had such a great time painting today, super positive vibes!” he wrote on Instagram. “Work in progress, will polish it tomorrow, thanks everyone who said hi.”
Abbott, while being neither the current Prime Minister (that’s Turnbull) not the Prime Minister who got us into this mess (that’s Howard, when he changed the Marriage Act), is still one of the most vocal opponents of marriage equality in this country.
Like many opponents, he’s quick to assure people that he’s not homophobic. He doesn’t hate gay people. He loves gay people! But he still thinks that their relationships are less worthy than those in heterosexual ones.
As he recently wrote in an op-ed published by The Australia, “[my ‘no’ vote] will be an affirmation that the things that matter should not lightly be changed and that marriage is different from other relationships.”
It only stands to reason therefore that Marsh’s work is an act of protest against those who, like Tony, insist on making a debate about other peoples’ marriages all about them.
It’s over in Redfern outside Hunter’s Corner, if you want to take a big ol’ gay photo in front of it.
