Thank you for that introduction Laura, and thank you to you and Tim, and all the Gay Savvy family, for creating something for which we are certainly proud. A big thank you also to Jay, Kat, Jess, and all from Equal Love for your tireless efforts in fighting the good fight.

Marriage equality is coming. More than 60% of Australians now agree. The level of community support is overwhelming. We’ve even got the US President and Vice President on side!

The walls of bigotry are crumbling. The wider community are changing their minds. Most now know sexual orientation and gender diversity are not choices, lifestyles, sins, illnesses, nor deliberate threats to tradition. That you had as much choice over this as the colour of your eyes — and quite frankly, that it matters just as much.

But for the walls of bigotry to be truly dismantled, we must also change people’s hearts — they must believe in equality, they must believe these are rights we deserve. Only then will we achieve lasting change.

Now beliefs aren’t easily shifted by facts and logic alone. They change through experience — what you and see, hear, live and feel. It has been far too easy for others to justify the denial of our rights — far too easy when it is some faceless “other”. If is much harder when that “other” has a face and name — much harder when rights are denied to your son or daughter, your sister or brother.

Which is why, that while national days of action like today are important, what is far more important is what happens in those days ahead. How you interact with your family, friends, peers and colleauges. [It will be] through your actions — showing that the fears you have and the feelings you express are no different to those of your heterosexual kin.

It will be how you live your lives that hearts as well as minds will change, that human rights will progress, and that marriage equality will prevail.

So, in the words of Justice Michael Kirby at the opening of the Sydney Gay Games in 2002 -

“Enjoy yourselves. And by our lives let us be an example of respect for human rights. Not just for gays. For everyone.”

Thank you. Enjoy.