As support for marriage equality in Australia continues to grow, the NRL have formally and officially declared their support, as part of a campaign to encourage the federal government to hurry up and grant same-sex couples the right to legally marry.
Burgess brother, Rabbitohs prop, brick shithouse and generally pretty excellent dude Thomas Burgess has applauded the NRL’s move in favour of equality, saying it’s about bloody time.
“It’s ignorant and old-fashioned [to think] if you’re male you can only love a female,” he told media yesterday before a Rabbitohs-Panthers clash.
“Nowadays, anyone can love anyone. And people just need to get over it.”
The 23-year-old also recalled a couple who were close family friends, and that he and his brothers would refer to as “aunties”. “We always thought it was normal,” he said.
“They were really helpful in our growing up and we loved them.”
He went on to say that it’s great for an institution as entrenched in the Australian way of life as the NRL to come out in support of such a social change, and that personally, he wouldn’t want his own gay friends to be “unhappy” in life.
Last month, Australia’s big four banks and other brands including McDonald’s, Twitter and Telstra appeared in a full-page ad in the Weekend Australian Magazine supporting marriage equality.
The NRL have joined more than 400 organisations, including the AFL and the Football Federation Of Australia, in signing an Australian Marriage Equality-organised letter in support of same-sex marriage.
Qantas, Virgin Australia, David Jones, H&M, General Pants, Fitness First, iiNet, Foxtel, Optus, Vodafone, Nando’s, American Express and NRMA Insurance have all indicated their support.
A multi-party same sex marriage bill will be introduced when parliament resumes in August. That said, Tony Abbott‘s position remains that other people’s right to equal recognition under law gets in the way of his right to be a complete fuck knuckle, so we’ll see.
via Fairfax
Photo: Cameron Spencer via Getty Images
Photo: Cameron Spencer via Getty Images
