I wrote this for Facebook, which is mainly for family and a couple of friends. Actually I have two FB accounts, the other being for blog mates and other stuff, but I am afraid I only look at it sporadically so there is little point in telling you the details. This below went down quite well but as I am not a heavy FB user, it was probably not put up very high in people's reading list of posts. PS in advance. I just googled the former classmate and he is married and lives on Bribie Island. He never really seemed gay to me.
I was fully prepared to
not participate in this awful process of voting about something that
has already happened all over the world. Marriage equality is
something that should be decided by a direct and personal vote in our
Federal Parliament. I considered ignoring the postal vote for
political reasons. However, I will vote yes in the mail out 'opinion
poll' for same sex marriage. For once it is not all about me, but
about the future for other gay and lesbian couples. That we are being
opinion polled really is nonsense when the general feeling is already
known.
It is not for me or us
that I want the gay marriage poll to succeed with overwhelming
approval. We personally don't give two hoots for gay marriage. It is
for my sister, her partner and their daughter to whom it is
important, and the kiddies. You know, those younguns, who have weird
thoughts like I did when I was young and thought with envy about
marrying a bloke. Back so long ago, a male classmate at school,
wanted to marry David Cassidy. It would have been a bad choice, given
Cassidy's history, but why should not gay people get married, screw
it all up and then divorce like the rest of society?
I am not asking you to
change your mind if you are determined to vote no, but if you think
you can't be bothered, please be bothered. If you are a bit doubtful
about it, then have a think about what possible harm can come from
two people who love each other getting married. Is that they are male
and male or female and female really that important? The world has
not ended in countries where same sex marriage is allowed.
While it was briefly
legal in our Australian Capital Territory, my sister married her partner. One can only hope that she can again have the right to
marry who she loves.
Later edit: I changed the first sentence to the more accurate "mainly for family and a couple of friends".
Later edit: I changed the first sentence to the more accurate "mainly for family and a couple of friends".