Real Families, Real Stories.

Right, listen up people!

Two very important things you need to know about. Pay attention, focus, there will be a quiz at the end.

Get on board the gay marriage bandwagon now, and I have heaps of ways for you to be involved.

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) have two key initiatives up and running over the next few weeks. Both very exciting! For marriage equality to come to fruition in Oz it needs a groundswell of mainstream support. It needs to be seen not just as a gay issue but as an equality issue effecting wider society. That is the focus of AME.

Last week AME announced a campaign called Real Families, Real Stories, Marriage Equality goes to Canberra. In a nutshell they are facilitating people from all walks of life to head to Canberra on October 12 to meet with their local MP's to discuss how marriage inequality effects them. The purpose is to demonstrate that it is not just gays and lesbians this inequality effects but also their family, friends, community and society.

Just wanted to put October 12 on your radar. Perhaps a day to tell your story of how marriage inequality effects you, someone you know or someone in your family. I would love so much to hear and read your stories. As would the team at AME.

And if you were really excited and passionate let me know because I’m sure there is always an opportunity for more people to head to Canberra!

The second initiative they are working on is MyMarriageStory.com.au - its purpose is to give all Australians a platform to share their ‘marriage story’. People can submit their personal story and photos about love, commitment and marriage through the MyMarriageStory.com.au website as a way of showing their support for marriage equality. As the convenor of AME, Alex Greenwich, says... “Everyone’s marriage story is unique, and this website aims to show that every story is special and should be treated equally". He's a very wise man.

For Twitter-lovers like me, there is a Twitter Marriage Rights Forum. AME will be participating in a Marriage Rights Forum on Twitter on Thursday 29 October, 8-9pm. Also taking part are former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally, Star Observer publisher Scott Abrahams and other special guest contributors. To be discussed: methods, ideas and tools that should be used to get the message across, upcoming events people can help with, and their thoughts on the campaign and on marriage. #Equality

So heaps of different ways to be involved if you wanted to. I would be ecstatic with any support you could show for this cause. All of the details of both initiatives are on the AME website – check it out here!

So this is an opportunity for any and every Australian to have a real impact on this cause simply by showing your support and/or spreading the word. Please do not hesitate to let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Tell your story on your blog, tweet links to blogs on the subject, promo the AME site on your Facebook page.

Take some time and tell your story on MyMarriageStory.com.au

Mark December 3 in your diary NOW cause that’s when I’ll be calling on you to show your support for marriage equality by marching from Hyde Park to Darling Harbour at Labor Party National Conference.

So much to be excited about. So many ways to show support and make a difference.

The next 2 months is our chance to bring about great change.

And now the quick quiz…

a) How many gay or lesbian family or friends do you have?

b) How does their inequality effect you?

c) How can you show support for them?

d) How important is it to you that Australian children grow up knowing that all their friends and family, and especially themselves, are equal in the eyes of the law?

Hate to get all ‘preacher’ on you but hopefully if you think about this you’ll see that this is an issue for so many more people than just the gay community.

Xoxoxoxoxo

St. Murphy