The Perth Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence and 50 gay and lesbians marched through the centre of Perth during CHOGM for same sex marriage. The protest was made up of many different groups from around the Commonwealth on issues of human rights. There was almost as many police as protesters but there were no arrests.

The Sisters made statements to the international press that covered the protest that same sex marriage was an issue of human rights and not morality and did not support Julia Gillard’s attempts to silence the issue at the Labor Party Conference by making same sex marriage a conscience vote for the Labor party which would see legislation lost as the Liberal Party would not make it a conscience vote.

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The Sisters also raised the issue of gay and lesbian human rights in Africa and the fact that some African countries attending CHOGM execute people for being GLBTI and that Julia Gillard has refused to raise this at CHOGM while only raising issue with Sri Lankan human rights.

Sister Mary Kate
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of the Black Swan

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