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Ex-Idol star joins fight for same-sex marriage |
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News -
Australian News
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Written by Equal Love
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 Ex-Idol star Rob Mills joins fight for same-sex marriage!
MELBOURNE — Former Australian Idol finalist, star of the musical Wicked, and current contestant on Dancing with the Stars, Rob Mills, has joined the fight for same-sex marriage rights in Australia.
“Stand up for your love rights,” Mills urges listeners to Melbourne’s gay and lesbian radio station JOY 94.9 in an ad campaign organised by Equal Love, one of the members of a national coalition of 50 organisations fighting for same-sex marriage. “I believe in equal love for all, which is why I urge you all to attend the National Day of Action rally on August 1st from 1pm at Federation Square” says Mills.
He also calls on same-sex couples to go along and take part in a world-record attempt at the “largest mass illegal wedding ever”, as part of the August 1 event.
Rob Mills: “I can’t believe that in Australia in 2009 we still don’t allow same-sex couples to get married. The rest of the world does; it’s high time that we did as well. Allowing same-sex couples to marry has no effect on anyone else. Those couples are happy because they can get married, and it doesn’t take away anything from anyone else. So of course we should allow it. It’s kind of a no-brainer!”
“Rob’s support for marriage equality shows that you don’t have to be gay to support equal rights for same-sex couples,” said Tony Pitman, a spokesperson for Equal Love. “Australia’s same-sex marriage ban is a human rights violation that we should all be concerned about, regardless of sexual orientation. All we’re asking for is equality, pure and simple.”
A Galaxy poll commissioned by Equal Love in June revealed that 60% of Australians now support same-sex marriage, compared with 38% in 2004. Support is strongest among young people, with 74% of respondents aged 16 to 24 agreeing that same-sex couples should have the right to marry.
Listen to the ads at: www.equallove.info/robmills.mp3
Photos of Rob in the JOY 94.9 studios: www.flickr.com/photos/equallove/
Media background
Equal love has created five, fun, web-based ads, to inform and educate all Australians about the issue of same-sex marriage. A new one is uploaded to the Equal Love Youtube page every Friday from June 25 to July 24 2009. Visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/EqualLove09
Seven countries have now introduced same-sex marriage (Canada, Belgium, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands) as well as six states of the U.S. (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine). A Galaxy poll released in June shows 60 per cent of Australians support same-sex marriage, increasing to 74 per cent of people under 25. (see: http://www.australianmarriageequality.com/Galaxy200906.pdf)
The ALP National Conference will discuss the ALP’s National Policy Platform from 30 July to 1 August 2009. The current platform discriminates against same-sex couples and excludes them from civil marriage. The August 1 rallies for same-sex marriage are designed to put pressure on the delegates at the conference to adopt a policy in favor of same-sex marriage.
On June 25, the Australian Senate launched an inquiry into same-sex marriage. The inquiry will receive submissions from the public until July 31st and will report back to the parliament on 26 November 2009. See: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/marriage_equality/index.htm
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