NEW POLL SHOWS AUSTRALIANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
A national opinion poll released today shows 60% of Australians believe same-sex couples should have the right to marry.
Australian Marriage Equality national convenor, Peter Furness, said that almost twice as many Australians now support equal marriage than oppose it.
"Clearly, Australians believe marriage is first and foremost about love and commitment, not your partner's gender", Mr Furness said.
"This poll scuttles the only rationale put forward by the Rudd Government for opposing equality, namely that a majority of Australians believe marriage should only be between a man and a woman."
"It surely increases the pressure on the Labor Party to endorse same-sex marriage at its upcoming national conference."
"We call on delegates to the conference to reflect the fairness and good sense of ordinary Australians by endorsing equal marriage."
The full results show 60% support equal marriage, 36% oppose it, with 4% undecided.
The poll was conducted by Galaxy polling and commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality and Equal Love with the support of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
It found that 64% of Labor voters, 50% of Coalition voters, and 74% of young voters support marriage equality.
PFLAG national spokesperson, Shelley Argent, also welcomed the result: "We want to see the relationships of our gay and lesbian children given the same rights and respect as their straight siblings", said Mrs Argent.
A separate question found that 58% of Australians believe foreign same-sex marriages should be recognised by Australia.
In 2004 the Howard Government, with the support of the Labor Opposition, amended the Marriage Act to prohibit same-sex marriages occurring in Australia as well as the recognition of same-sex marriages from overseas.
Polls taken since then have shown a steady increase in support for same-sex marriage from 38% in an SBS Newspoll in 2004 to 57% in a Galaxy poll in 2007 to 60% today.
A National Day of Action on marriage equality, commemorating the 2004 same-sex marriage ban, will be held on August 1st with events in all major capital cities.
A copy of the poll is available at
www.australianmarriageequality.com/Galaxy200906.pdf
Further information:
Peter Furness
0425 848 723
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