Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
BALLARAT mum Nerida Williams walked side-by-side her daughter and baby granddaughter because she wants to one day be the mother of a bride.
“As simple as that”, Ms Williams said.
Walking in solidarity with family and friends, they were part of a 60-strong march through central Ballarat on Saturday afternoon, calling for marriage equality and their preparedness to fight for it.
This march, with a rally at Ballarat Trades Hall, has been months in the making for Equal Love Ballarat. The organisation delivered with the backing of national progressive advocacy group Get Up!, Equal Love Melbourne and special guests Victorian Equality Minister Martin Foley and City of Ballarat councillor Belinda Coates.
Ms Williams, her daughter Lesley Williams and Lesley’s partner Megan Fromholtz have been to marriage equality rallies before, but said this Ballarat edition was well-organised.
Ms Fromholtz said her parents’ biggest concerns when she came out were walking her down the aisle and grandchildren – but now they, like Ms Williams, have four-month-old Clementine.
“We want marriage equality for our daughter, too, because if there is marriage equality it means there will not be the difference anymore,” Ms Fromholtz said. “She will be able to go to school and say her parents are married, there will be less opportunities for stereotypes.”
Bridie Laffey and her partner Christine Martin have moved to Ballarat from New Zealand, a nation with marriage equality. They feel compelled to campaign for equality in their new home.
“I think it’s only a matter of time before people in Australia say why not now?” Ms Laffey said. “And then they’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.”
The march looped from Trades Hall up Sturt Street to Lydiard Street and looped back down Mair Street to Trades Hall.Most people wore a rainbow coloured accessory, like shoelaces or scarves, in support. Many carried bright posters enscribed with why they believe marriage equality matters.
The march and rally featured campaigners across all age groups, the march drew a couple of supportive toots from passing cars and claps from those dining for lunch along the march route.
Ballarat City Council passed a motion to support marriage equality at its meeting on July 12.
Rally draws on city’s rebellious streak
MARCH to fight, march for each other, march because love alone cannot win was the rallying cry from activist Sally Rugg in Ballarat Trades Hall.
The GetUp! marriage equality director spoke of a renewed push in federal parliament to kick up again next month – but that until then, it was important to keep campaigning strong and active at grassroots level.
Victorian Equality Minister Martin Foley was a key speaker for the Equal Love Ballarat event, which featured Aboriginal welcome to country and smoking ceremonies and a lunchtime march in central Ballarat.
Minister Foley said regional centres deserved to have their voice heard on important social issues. He called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to “be as good as his personal convictions”.
“Ballarat does have a bit of tradition of having its voice heard on issues of change and this issue,” Minister Foley told The Courier.
“Marriage Equality for LGBTI people won’t be compulsory, so it’s about making sure that our laws catch up and reflect the reality of our diverse inclusive Australia that we have become. This step for marriage equality needs to be formally recognised for our LGBTI community.”
Equal Love Ballarat has been formally organising this rally since May.
Ballarat councillor Belinda Coates, who spoke at the rally, said she had lost count of the number of marriage equality marches she had attended in Ballarat, but gradually “we’re getting there”.
Equal Love Ballarat’s Kirsten Holden was rapt with the community support.
“My biggest thing at the moment is that equality starts at grassroots level, where we can start calling for it and start momentum to get it done,” Ms Holden said. “And we are known as the city of rebellion.”