Rear view mirror #7

Yay! The moment has finally arrived, and it’s a great moment to savour. A sweet victory, made bitter by the process that took us here. Marriage equality is the law of the land …  after it was first recognised by Canada in 2003 and in 23 other countries since then. Parliament has finally passed amendments to the Marriage Act 1961 … amendments which were drafted and ready 4 months ago. Australia has finally recognised in law the rights of all couples to participate in the institution of marriage … which has been a secular institution since at least the Marriage Act was first enacted.

My blood pressure rose slightly when I heard all the politicians self-congratulating themselves on such a job well done … only a few really deserved such congratulations. The others were dragged here, kicking and screaming, fingernails scraping the ground. And sounding just as bad.

For me, I would like to thank all the real life allies for whom equality was not even a second thought, to those who thought differently and have since changed their minds, to those people who helped changed those people’s minds, and to those who have all passed before, blazing trails for all of us, with the full knowledge that they themselves might not be here to savour the moment when it finally arrived.

Of course, I will cherish this moment - I’m sure my bitterness will fall away and I can reflect back on this as a great moment. You savour the victories where you can, you savour it for what it is, in all its glory and all its warts. And then you leave it as it is, as your life moves on. A friend’s relationship may fall apart, while another’s enters greater commitment against the background of some health issues. All the while, the march to equality and fairness moves on. The world only spins forward!