Nearly 80% of eligible Australians expressed their view in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, with 61.6% responding Yes: the law should be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry.
The survey results were heard loud and clear in the Senate last Wednesday and the bill passed through without any major changes. This was the first time either house of federal parliament had cast a vote in favour of same-sex marriage. The next step is for the bill to pass through the lower house. If this is achieved same-sex marriage could be made legal in Australia by Friday. This will be a huge win for equality and very exciting to see data creating social change on this scale.
Culture Counts are proud to work with organisations doing important work in this area. Some of the key metrics organisations use to measure their impact include:
- Equality I was treated as an equal
- Inclusion It made me feel welcome and included
- Diversity It engaged people from different backgrounds
- Community It helped me to feel connected to people in the community
Many arts and cultural organisations have taken a leadership position in support of the yes campaign and contributed creative responses. One of our favourites is a video message of love and equality from the staff and students of Ballarat Arts Academy who proclaim, “We made this for you, because through art we can imagine the world not as it is, but as it could be.”
The Australian Ballet created a theatrical moment supporting the YES campaign during the curtain call of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Dancers held yes balloons and posters, stating publicly they believe love is love. This was a simple but striking gesture that highlighted the important role the arts can play in advocating for public good.
