Hi Malcolm,

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I’m a middle aged white married heterosexual bloke like you. I’ve been married since 1998. Sadly, not everyone has had that opportunity.

I’m a little puzzled why you say in one breath the economy is in dire straits, and in the next, you want to spend over $160 million on a plebiscite, so the Australian public can decide if two Australians who love each other, can legally get married.

I got married. You got married. How come we can, but a segment of Australia can’t? How’s that work, Malcolm?

I’m sure you’re aware that until around 50 years ago, Indigenous Australians had to get legal permission to marry each other. We look back now with shock at that. It’s abhorrent to think that not too long ago, some of the Australian population couldn’t marry because of their skin pigment.

I wasn’t alive then, so I didn’t have a say in that, but I do have a say now. I don’t want my children or grand children if that happens, looking back at 2016 and being shocked at another human right not being distributed equally.

I don’t understand why anyone could fathom that our marriages are going to be somewhat less important or be put at risk, because some other couple got married.

If anything, it means we’ll all get to celebrate friend’s weddings; those who couldn’t marry before now. That’ll be great, right?

Now, back at my marriage being threatened. How does that work? I believe it could actually be these people feel their faith would be somewhat tarnished if same sex marriage was allowed.

I’m as equally confused by that preposterous myth too. These people do understand they don’t need to suddenly divorce their current partners, and start marrying people of the same sex, right? They can keep their current marriage, and they can celebrate that other couples get to enjoy the same basic rights as them now.

So, why can’t you just vote same sex marriage into law now?

You don’t need a plebiscite to do that. We all know that every survey in the last few years have supported it. Why do we need to start a campaigning period, which is likely to offend or harass part of our society?

Malcolm, part of that $160+ million is a portion of the taxes I’ve paid over the last 30 or so years. I’d like to see them spent on anti-homophobia education or indigenous welfare, or something actually bloody useful. Not on a silly vote that your colleagues have said they wont even recognize.

It’s 2016 now Malcolm, not 1916. Let’s embrace modern life by removing ridiculous infringements on basic human rights.

Miles Burke 

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