Regional Queenslanders Showing Support for Same-Sex Marriage

Two men in the coastal Queensland town of Gladstone are urging people to vote Yes as they look forward to one day being able to marry each other.

Brendan Kent recently moved to Gladstone from Mackay to be with his partner Justin and has been happy with the locals response to them and their relationship.

Speaking with the local Gladstone Observer, Brendan said apart from the odd comment here and there, the town as a whole hasn’t had an issue with accepting the couple for who they are and most people in Gladstone are perfectly happy to sit down and have a beer with anyone else – gay or straight.

“My partner works at the alumina refinery – I go to the pub with him and his workmates,” he said.

“They don’t give a s*** who’s marrying who.

“They stand there and talk about their girlfriends, I talk about my boyfriend. It’s exactly the same.”

Both Gladstone and Mackay are towns with many workers from the mines or the nearby gas plants.

Last week local Gladstone Member of Parliament Ken O’Dowd confirmed he would vote in line with the result in his electorate should the issue of same-sex marriage come to a free vote in Federal Parliament.

Brendan is happy with that response but is worried about the result of the postal survey which started to be sent out across Australia today.

“I think it’s ridiculous… already, there’s a lot of hate being thrown about on both sides,” he said.

“We shouldn’t have to tell other people that they’re wrong for feeling that marriage is just between men and women.

“But at the same time, they shouldn’t be able to tell me I can’t marry my partner.”

Brendan said the final result of the plebiscite could potentially have a huge impact on his life.

“We most definitely have plans to marry when it is made law,” he said.

“And I say when because no matter the outcome, it’s going to happen eventually anyway.”

Last Updated on Sep 13, 2017