AUSTRALIANS have voted yes on marriage equality, and Armidale resident Cassandra Arnott couldn’t be happier.
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Identifying as a bisexual woman, Ms Arnott said that for her marriage equality is a human rights issue.
“I’m extremely excited, happy, elated – it’s quite an emotional day really,” she said.
In the New England, 52.5 per cent of the Australian Marriage Law Survey respondents voted yes.
Australia needs to celebrate natural human diversity, Ms Arnott said.
“We need to stop seeing it as a tragedy if your son or your daughter is gay or bisexual,” she said.
“We need to remind ourselves that egalitarianism is a big part of who we are and those are our values.
“It’s just heartbreaking to hear stories about same-sex partners not being allowed into ICU or emergency departments simply because their relationships aren’t recognised.
“It’s just horrifying.”
Across the country, 61.6 per cent of Australians voted yes.
Now, it will be up to the Coalition to see that an amendment to Australian Marriage Law Act allowing same-sex couples to marry is passed.
Ms Arnott said that she worries about the welfare of the LGBTQI community if the law isn’t changed.
“We can’t be scared into submission of conservative values,” she said.
“It would be extremely devastating [if the law isn’t changed].
“It would be really important to me to be able to marry if it came to it.”