Yes Yes Yes by Alex Greenwich

Author:Alex Greenwich
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742244402
Publisher: NewSouth Publishing

Uncertain future

While many in the LGBTIQ community were relieved that the plebiscite was voted down in November 2016, the campaign rollercoaster continued. Adam Knobel told us, ‘We now had to prepare for every possible scenario. Like what if nothing happens and it’s a complete stalemate? How do we bubble along for another twelve to eighteen months and then build up to a huge campaign with a goal of trying to change the government at the next election in order to achieve marriage equality? We had plans written for various different scenarios’.

Tim Wilson describes this as one of the most difficult times for him. He believed the defeat of the plebiscite in the Senate blocked the pathway to marriage equality. From his viewpoint, the issue within the government risked being ‘dead and buried’. Pressure would soon mount on Tim and a small handful of marriage equality supporters in the government to risk their careers and cross the floor to allow a parliamentary vote.

Penny Wong and others got to work on a legislative path forward. Most on her side of politics assumed this would be in the next Labor government. Bill Shorten emphasised that Labor would legislate within the first hundred days of assuming office.

It was clear that marriage equality advocates were keeping up the pressure but supporters within the Coalition weren’t sure what they could do. There was no way the government would suddenly allow a free vote. Their narrative was that Labor had killed marriage equality and they would continue to shift blame to them.

Alex knew he had to remain positive and wrote a piece for the Huffington Post, arguing history showed that when confronted with a challenge, the LGBTIQ community and their allies organised, spoke out and united. Now that the plebiscite had been voted down and there was some clear air, it was important to look at what had been gained, rather than stop to dance on the plebiscite’s grave or emphasise the fear that marriage equality could still be a long way off.

For the first time the LGBTIQ community could see what a large-scale, professional national campaign could look like, with infrastructure built across the country in case a plebiscite was imposed on us. This in no way detracts from the significance of the previous campaign but the scale of the new one vastly exceeded its predecessor. The threat of a plebiscite had meant we needed to get more organised than ever before, which meant that a record number of people offered to help.

Interestingly, the plebiscite policy provided room for a number of Coalition members to publicly declare their support for marriage equality. These included WA Senator Linda Reynolds, Victorian National Damian Drum, and most significantly, Federal Attorney-General George Brandis.

Labor’s position on marriage equality also strengthened during this time. They went from being the party who allowed a free vote on reform to a party whose leader was dedicated to delivering marriage equality. Labor had been careful to consult with the LGBTIQ community throughout and clearly understood the significance of the issue.

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