Everyone at work took the day off to gather in Prince Alfred Park to hear the Marriage Equality vote result. When it was announced in the affirmative, I found myself celebrating with the fabulous Magda Szubanski and other friends on a picnic rug with champagne. It was such a thrilling result.
One year on from the vote in which Australians engaged in that postal plebiscite to give our rainbow tribe the right to marry whoever they loved, Australia Says Yes screened on SBS, pulling together stories from people integral to the journey of the triumphant campaign.
Narrating the doco and reliving the tensions and excitement of the campaign was magic.
In the lead up to the vote, my dad and I spent a day calling people to see if they might back it. We both had a feeling that there was enough support out there to get it across the line but you never know until the count is in.
Edie Shepherd, founder of Blackfullas for Marriage Equality, was interviewed for the film and saw parallels between the survey and the 1967 referendum to count Aboriginal people in the census. She said; “We know what it is to have an entire country debate whether or not we’re people.”
It’s a debate that's being revisited right now with the referendum on the Voice to Parliament. Let’s hope that once again in 2023, Australians vote for justice and fairness.