Three years on from the passage of the federal ban on same-sex marriage, people have not given up on fighting back. Around 3000 people protested nationwide during an August 12 national day of action calling for same-sex marriage rights, civil unions and adoption rights.
Demonstrations were organised by Sydney's Community Action Against Homophobia, the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby/Equal Love Network Melbourne, Reform Action and Change Brisbane, and Lismore Activists for Same Sex Equality (LASSE). More than 80 organisations endorsed the day of action.
In Sydney, 1000 noisy protesters marched from Oxford Street to Town Hall, despite an attempt to disrupt the rally by NSW police. The day before the event, police advised that protest organisers could not use Sydney Square as a rallying point. The square, next to Town Hall, is a frequently used protest venue in Sydney, and is the rally point planned for the main protest during the APEC summit on September 8.
On the morning of the protest, the square was blocked off by barricades, meaning that the rally would have been forced to block George Street. The resulting traffic disruption may have led to an aggressive police response. The blockade took place after representations by the adjoining Saint Andrew's Cathedral.
Conflict with police was avoided by assertive representations made to the police event commander on the day by protest organisers, leading to the barricades' removal. The attempt by a section of the police force to disrupt the rally, at the apparent behest of the church, is the subject of a complaint by protest organisers to the NSW Ombudsman.
Protesters heard from speakers including the NSW Council for Civil Liberties' David Bernie, ALP MLC Penny Sharpe and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays' Gillian Maury. A moving speech was given by refugee Mike Sarhan and his boyfriend Brad Calderon about same-sex marriage and refugees' rights.
Rachel Evans, an organiser of the protest and the Socialist Alliance candidate for Parramatta, told the crowd: "We are not sub-human. Our love is not second class ... I predict [PM John] Howard will go down. But there is no blank cheque to the ALP, or any political party that gets in. We're sick of the increase in homophobic bashings, the 40%-plus rise in HIV rates across Australia, the bad laws governments introduce. Queers have been rising up since this marriage ban. The specter of queers will be haunting governments who do not heed our demands."
Greens Senator Kerry Nettle condemned the ban on same-sex marriage and the proposed federal ban on same-sex adoption from overseas: "It's a clear pattern about the prime minister trying to garner votes from the conservative religious fundamentalists within the community and in doing so seeking to scapegoat a particular section within our community."
In Melbourne, 1500 people protested outside the State Library and marched to Federation Square. ALP state MP Tony Lupton, Greens Senate candidate Richard di Natale, Democrat Senator Lyn Allison and community figures, including Melbourne deputy lord mayor Gary Singer, gave speeches. Couples expressed their love and commitment for each other in "Midwinta vows", while the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus performed for the crowd.
Four hundred people took part in a Brisbane demonstration. On August 11, 50 people rallied in Lismore for same-sex equality in a demonstration organised by LASSE. An August 14 protest in Perth, backed by the Cross Campus Queer Network, drew 30 people.