We’re all someone’s kids…

When I was a teenager a song in Australia became a hit, it was a calling out for action on the environment and conservation and sustainability.

Have a listen I think it’s message is still really valid and given how much inaction this country still has when it comes to the environment, but I think, and I hope it’s not appropriating something wrongly, but I think it’s message is really really potent in terms of current events in Australia.

Our country is in a turmoil over the question of the right to LGBTIQIA+ people to have the same rights before the law as heterosexuals do. Yes the main question is about marriage, because marriage is an institution of the state which also acts as a vehicle for the conveying of rights. Rights related to funeral rights for same sex partners, superannuation, wills and what not.

Actually really important things, things that come up at times that are emotionally charged. Just imagine, for a minute if you will, that your child, lost their partner, and were unable to be named as partner on the death certificate. It’s unjust, it’s inequatable, it’s unfair.

There is a line in this song, a line that says ‘we’re all someone’s daughter, we’re all someones son’, simply we’re all someone’s child, the implication that someone loves us cares for us etc. Of course life is not always happy families but the idea is effectively conveyed. Now this song was talking about the environment and that if we continue to sit on our hands and do nothing it is like looking down the barrel of a gun. In other words, if we don’t act we’re screwed.

Well you know what, we rainbow peeps are also all someones child, and we’re also many of us someone’s parent. And if we continue to do nothing about the inequality perpetrated on us by the institution of marriage as currently stands in this country we will be looking down the barrel of a gun, shit, we already are. Just look at the mental health outcomes and issues for LGBTQIA+ people, especially young people.

In order to achieve equality we’ve had to go to war in a sense. To highlight the bigotry, and hate that is levelled at us for simply existing. Calling out the use of religious arguments to stop a secular act of government being amended to ensure equality for all Australian people.

It’s a war we shouldn’t have had to have, our government should have dealt with this, and dealt with it a long time ago, but instead they have effectively fiddled while Rome burned, well while country after country have done the right thing and enshrined marriage equality in law. Funnily enough there has been no slippery slop into anything let alone the ridiculous claims made like legalising beastiality and the marrying of public monuments.

This war is a war, but a war we don’t want, I can’t see anyone wanting to be bombarded by hate and bigotry regularly as they scroll their newsfeed, watch the TV news or listen to their radios. But fight it we must, we must focus on the key issue, equality. We must not allow our fellow LGBTQIA+ tribe members to be singled out by the bigotry of those against us, we must call out the bullshit and lies for what they are, but we must do so without dehumanising the people that spout that bullshit. We must not fight hatred and bigotry by simply slinging back hatred and abuse.

I am convinced we will win this war. Either in this ridiculous survey exercise or sometime after, we will win. The opponents are on the wrong side of history and a victory is only a matter of when.

What we must not do is let this exercise fracture our country. We know there is solidarity for this from years of opinion polls, from data from The ABC’s Vote Compass. The winning is inevitable, the question is where will we be when the war is over.

We must work for that place to be a stronger more united country where we all stand equal and able to be our true whole selves and stand proudly in that and claim our place in this country as full and equal members.

When the war is over where will we be?