Australia, lets get this done.

By Prashan Paramanathan


13th September '17

A little over a year ago, in the middle of the Australian bush, I stood amongst all the people in the world that I love the most, and married my wonderful wife, Mel.

Mel is white, I'm not - which should be totally irrelevant.

Except that, not that long ago, it wasn't.

Sixty years ago, in Australia, had Mel been Indigenous, we would have had to beg for legal permission to get married. In many US states at the same time, we could've been arrested for living together.

It was a combination of brave people putting their love first, campaigning, voting and parliamentary courage that moved history forward and overturned those unjust laws.

Today, just like then, we have the opportunity to move history forward. As the country of the fair go for all, it's time our LGBTI friends, colleagues and loved ones had the same rights to marry as the rest of us.

Leaving aside the inherent unfairness of the rights of the few again being decided by the will of the many, we have a unique opportunity to be our best selves, to do what's right and to vote Yes.

In sixty years time, our grand kids will look back at the bans on marriage equality, the same way we look at the bans on interracial marriage and think to themselves, how was that ever a thing?

Personally, I look forward to being able to look them in the eye and tell them I helped end that injustice. I hope you'll be able to do the same.
If you want to help, here are three things you can do (aside from voting Yes):

Prashan Paramanathan
CEO, Chuffed.org