I had the good fortune to attend a lesbian wedding in Sydney's Waterfall National Park on January 10. Activist Georgina Abrahams married Journey, her partner of five years, in a ceremony conducted by a monk, Dada Prana, and a nun, Didi, of the Ananda Marga.
The hall was packed with 200 friends and family. The ceremony was a moving show of love felt by Georgina and Journey for each other, and the support and solidarity from their friends and family.
The marriage was illegal. The marriage celebrant could be struck off for conducting the ceremony. Australia has banned same-sex marriage, with both Labor and Liberal parties consider marriage as exclusively "between a man and a woman", placating homophobic religious extremists who think that equal marriage rights will lead to downfall of the family unit, society, and the human species. However, no-one at the ceremony was surprised that wedding cake followed the proceedings, not social decay.
Abrahams read out a statement before she and Journey were illegally married. "We have made our own wedding certificate. This is because although 68% of Australians say 'yes' to our enduring love commitment, we continue to be told by the Australian Marriage Act that our relationship is not significant. What you see here is a 21st century marriage and 19th century laws do not stop us, or stop you from joining us on this sacred occasion. Love is to be celebrated. We matter. We are significant. And we represent an unstoppable human right. As do many other lesbian and gay couples in this hall. Lesbians here who have been together for over 25 years. We sign this love certificate of our marriage in honour of you all."
Abrahams told GLW: "The Ananda Marga monk and nun who married us then gave speeches about spiritual leaders having the courage to marry lesbian and gay couples, to keep moving the issue of human rights forward. And to be true to the understanding in spirituality, like socialism, that all are one and equal."
The fight to make this marriage legal continues.
[Actions for equal marriage rights will take place on Valentines Day in Sydney, Ballarat and Perth. Visit www.caah.org.au for details.]