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An open letter to all the bigoted, hypocritical politicians of the Australian Government

I am a concerned Australian citizen writing to you today, the evening after the election, concerning marriage equality.

Now whilst you are all sitting back, some with relief at being re-elected, some spitting chips at losing, and some hanging in the balance, I ask you take time to think of how we, the Australian public think of marriage equality.

You see, gentleman and (a small number of) ladies, it is just not possible to hurt us like we can hurt you (a huge voter backlash, so to speak). We remember words that hurt us, words that offend us, words that make us feel lesser of a person, but more so, we
remember. On that note Bernadi and Christensen can thank their lucky asses they got back in to the Parliament (unfortunately) but still, maybe next time if they don’t improve, they might not be so lucky next time. Three years, boys.

Lots of issues got tossed about between all parties, and we read them all, if not most of them (hint, Mr Turnbull, leave our Medicare alone, cancel the team investigating the privatisation of any of it and back off from hurting the most vulnerable).

Mr Turnbull, let me say this to you as a voter, I did not and will never condone, or accept being made to feel like a lesser human being than you make us feel like, I deplore and despise the way you have made some of us feel as people and I hope I can speak for a lot of pensioners out there to say I don’t accept your attitude towards us.

It is not Labor’s fault or anybody else’s that got you a huge backlash against your LNP, it was you treating us like sheep and expecting us to just trust you and follow you.

Marriage equality is important to most Australian citizens and whether you like it or not, we did not swallow your random crap about being a respectable referendum/plebiscite at all. We have lived enough with hatred, bigotry, despicable behaviour, intolerance, violence, and other people telling us how we should and should not be and who we should and should not love. Three prime examples are Christensen, Bernadi and Lyle Shelton. Look at what they said about marriage equality, yet as a leader, our Prime Minister you did nothing, said nothing, and let them get away with it. You had no balls, Mr Turnbull, to reprimand them.

Now to the rest of you politicians I ask you kindly, please take some time, to ask yourself honestly and candidly, how you can help make Australia better and fairer and take us (advance us) to the future regarding marriage equality.

We do not seek anything but the right to marry the one we love and be united with the one that makes us happy, regardless of our gender.

I ask all of you these questions:

How will marriage equality directly influence your life and how you live?
How will marriage equality directly or indirectly effect your lifestyle and beliefs?
How will two people marrying each other (out of love and togetherness as a couple) effect any part of your life?
How will being able to marry someone you love be any different for anyone else?
How will you know who is and is not a good parent to their children if you don’t know them or live with them or even remotely know who they are and where they live?
How can you justify a fake book and it’s fake passages to defend something that in reality does not exist?
How can you, any of you, degrade another person based on just their sexuality and love preferences?
Are you a god or better than a god?

I know full well what it is like to lose a partner in death. I know full well how something so terrible can tear your mind to pieces. I know full well how being despised, hated, bashed, almost murdered, brought close to death feels. I know what it is like to walk down the street and people spit in your faces because you hold hands or threaten you if are seen kissing your partner. I know what it feels like to be hated and made to feel worthless and dirty. I know what it is like to get raped, and not be believed. I know what it is like to be torn apart inside. I know all of this because I have experienced this, lived it, felt it, been the victim of it and I still am because people like Bernadi, Christensen, Shelton, and others of their ilk, often do so without fear of retribution or punishment from the law or our own government leader, aka the prime minister.

Place yourselves in my shoes and ask yourselves, how long could you survive all that mental stuff and still stand up and forgive? If I have felt and feel like this, imagine how the rest of the LGBTIQ community feel or have experienced?

We are not asking much, just the right to marry our partners, be a family in peace and love and be treated like a normal couple, just like yourselves.

We do not need to be persecuted or hated or despised or to be made to feel like we are nothing, we just want the right to be happy with our partners in full equal marriage, like a heterosexual couple can be.

If that is so wrong, then please, have your damn plebiscite. But we prefer the people we elect to do the job which is not that hard to do and change it through the act of parliament with a free vote. John Howard did it, why can’t you or you just want to waste money of the taxpayer on something you know is worthless and a waste of time.

Yours in waiting,

Concerned Citizen

 

22 comments

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  1. Diane

    What an amazingly moving article. Thank you so much.

  2. Keitha Granville

    Thank you, moved to tears. If the LNP makes it to power they had better take very close note of the fact that MOST of us (apart from those sad excuses for human beings you have mentioned) want a change to the marriage act, and we want it NOW.

    May you be happy and may you be loved.

  3. wam

    Sadly, those that cannot accept love humans have for each other doesn’t predicate on sex, are bound not to question the faith or upbringing of that premise.
    My big sister hid her feelings and partner for nearly 40 years before my young brothers grew enough to see love for the beauty it is.
    The plebiscite may turn out to be a way to show love to be a human trait for all humans unreservedly.

  4. Peter Phelan

    The less said about this the better.And I hope the plebiscite is resolved well and truly in the negative,dead and buried forever.

  5. Michael Young

    Brilliant! Thank you!

  6. paul walter

    Some are bigots, some are cowards, some realistic about the possible consequences about taking on this sort of issue.

    It’s another issue many people gladly handball on to the next person. There could have been a resolution ages ago by the simple stroke of a pen, or a simple vote, but both major political parties have dedicated social conservatives- Bernardi is the noisiest, matched by Fred Nile- who can’t come to terms with the notion of keeping out of other people’s bedrooms and cranky followers who in the past bombed abortion clinics, say.

  7. Freethinker

    There are to many do-gooders in society and in power that are trying to rule how other people have to live .
    There is nothing more pure than love and not one have the right to stop it.

  8. corvus boreus

    ‘Do-gooders’; those who would enact deeds of general benefit.
    Terrible trait that.

  9. Deanna Jones

    Consequences? What are you talking about, Paul?

    I dread the reality of a plebiscite on this issue. How demeaning it will be.

  10. paul walter

    The political consequences, as with refugees and aborigines. Haven’t you noticed we have a hung parliament and a situation where a few thousand votes alienated across the country can cost government.

    I think you looked hard to find something wrong with my post and failing that, fabricated your own gripe.

    I DID say that a resolution could/ should have been instigated ages ago, remember..

  11. Robin Evans

    You are wasting words on those thugs…

  12. Lj

    Perhaps so Robin, But if no one else says anything, how then can you expect them to listen???
    I applaud the Concerned citizen for what they have said and Hope they do have somewhat of an impact
    in a positive manner towards the above titled.
    To use a quote I see often.
    If you see something is wrong, speak up
    If you see something is wrong, but do nothing or say nothing.
    Then you are part of the problem.
    Only when you use your voice, will a solution be found.

  13. Pingback: Written by the AIM Network: An open letter to all the bigoted, hypocritical politicians of the Australian Government – The SKPress

  14. Deanna Jones

    Robin, staying silent is compliance.

    Paul, nothing wrong with your post, just wanted clarification. No need to reduce my desire for human rights as a ‘gripe’.

  15. jimhaz

    [I dread the reality of a plebiscite on this issue]

    The trouble is that now it has been promised, I think those who would vote NO would become uncontrollably rampant.

    Turnbull cannot really change the policy – unless he blames the far right squad for his electoral woes and decides to take them on!

    Looks like innocent people will suffer unnecessarily either way. At least though folks will be prepared.

  16. Lj

    Well The concerned citizen did say they would rather a free vote in the parliament before a plebiscite but we know know for sure TURNBULL has NO BALLS OR GUTS to stand up to his party. TURNBULL has no BACKBONE and is SPINELESS when it comes to being a leader. What were his words almost 2 weeks ago?? I am not a dictator????
    He does not have to be a dictator to be a leader, just have some conviction in his own beliefs and some backbone and spine tostand up to idiots as this article say’s about.

  17. mark

    You are not hated or persecuted. If the majority of Australians are in favour of SSM then what is the problem with the plebasite. If the majority vote for it then it will be implemented. It wasnt an issue during the election by any party. It was briefly discussed and then left.

  18. mark

    No Lj. He is the leader of the Liberal /National party. He is there to implement the wishes of the party. We have seen what happens when people go outside the party with captains picks etc.

  19. win

    If you refer to the Bible as a fake book ,it is not ‘fake ‘ unless you think God personally wrote it. It is part of humankind’s history and culture and each part reflects the beliefs of the time it was written by fallible humans , of sometimes limited word view and always masculine bias. Much should be seen as the story of a culture and its religion, some as poetry, some ( dare I say it) quietly buried, with its primitive emphases. For Christians the NT teachings supersede the OT , though even some attributed to Paul are out dated.

  20. Arthur Baker

    Great article and I appreciate reading your thoughts. Just one additional comment – you need a proof-reader..

  21. Kronomex

    Turnbull will continually find excuses and poor reasons to delay the plebiscite until it just fades away. He has no real choice as long as he is held to ransom by the right wing religious nut jobs that put him where he is.

    Personally, I don’t think you need marriage as long as you care for the other person (and vice versa) in your life and are willing to accept the highs and inevitable lows that life throws at you then in a way you are already married.

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