The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow is in Sight for Australia

A historic new chapter of equal rights in Australia is developing. Yesterday, Australians finally discovered the increasingly anticipated result of an 8-week long poll on legalizing same-sex marriage in Australia.

More than 12.7 million people, about 79.5 percent of the eligible voting population, took part in the poll. To the delight of LGBTQ Campaigners, Australians overwhelmingly voted in favour of legalizing same-sex marriage. The result of the poll shows that more than 61.8 percent of voters are in support of legalization, in comparison to the 38.4 percent of the population voting against the motion.

Australia must now commit to marriage equality and see that social change in the country is achieved. PM Turnbull moved to head off attempts from conservatives in his ruling Liberal-National Coalition to frustrate or delay the legislative process.

In a statement by Turnbull:

"They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love. And now it is up to us here in the parliament of Australia to get on with it."

After a non-binding poll, Turnbull has now pledged to make sure that marriage equality is achieved by Christmas. However, his government has been incredibly divided over what a parliamentary bill should include.

Some Conservative MPs are now pushing for the bill to include exemptions that would allow businesses opposed to same-sex marriage to refuse goods and services for same-sex events, such as weddings.

Despite Australians voting "YES," the process of achieving it has been incredibly controversial and has even sparked immense amounts of homophobia throughout several communities. Following the referendum, "Vote No" is now under official investigation for homophobic lies and unofficial leaflets and posters being distributed.

A one-page leaflet urging a no vote, sent to homes in Summer Hill, Lewisham, Hurstville in Sydney and Ashfield, said:

Homosexuality is a curse of death in terminating the family line and without decedents! [sic]… Homosexuality is a tragedy of family, a grave to the family bloodline, a curse of family sonlessness.

If same sex marriage legislation is passed, it would be a threat to the safety of women, creating great fear and harm to them. For by then, there would be no separate public toilets, change rooms or shower rooms for the male and female, the transexual "counterfeit" women will be protected under the law… this may give rise to the rapists who may masquerade as a "transexual woman" sneaking into the public "forbidden land" for men. The number of victims being raped in public female changing rooms and bathrooms in those countries that has [sic] passed the same sex marriage legislation is a stunning fact to all.

Posters have been seen in several places in central Melbourne before the referendum claiming that “gay couples are more than 30 times likely to molest children” and that “gay marriage enables paedophilia.”

This disgraceful homophobic behaviour should be of great concern to the Australian Government. While equal marital status will soon be achieved, stigma and all-around social acceptance is still a challenge for the Government.

As we've seen in other countries such as America, since the legalisation of same-sex marriage, we've not only seen continued homophobia, transphobia, and anti-LGBT+ behaviour continue but in some cases increase drastically.

Data shown by the FBI has suggested that hate crime towards Gays and Lesbians in the last year has been on the increase by 11 percent. Furthermore, attacks on LGBT people in the UK surged almost 80 percent in the previous four years, despite the UK having a very open, accepting and supportive attitude towards the LGBTQ+ Community.

In a study conducted by the "Australian Human Rights Commission," 80 percent of Homophobic bullying takes place in schools and LGBT People are three times more likely to suffer from depression. Furthermore, 42 percent of LGBT people chose to hide their identity when attending Social events.

These shocking figures show precisely how concerning the problem in Australia is, likewise with America and the UK, countries that made a show of same-sex marriage being legalized and perhaps failed in equally more critical areas of the campaign for equality.

Yesterday was a massive success for the LGBTQ Community, and it will hopefully send a strong signal for the direction in which the Australian Government aims to take over the next few years. However, I fear that the politicians will get sidetracked from what's also really at stake. People's mental health and wellbeing are all still very much at risk and homophobia won't come to an end because of an 8-week poll.

Yesterday's celebrations should mark the beginning of a new era in the campaign for LGBT rights in Australian. Development in Education must be top of the agenda so that in future reports, statistics show a decrease in Homophobia.

Australia's Human Rights Commission