MEDIA RELEASE: ALLIES OF LGBTIQ AUSTRALIA SAY NO PLEBISCITE / CALL FOR FREE VOTE

just.equal

Media Release

Saturday November 5th 2016

ALLIES OF LGBTIQ AUSTRALIA SAY NO PLEBISCITE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES / CALL FOR FREE VOTE

High profile allies of LGBTIQ Australians, including Peter Carey, Noeline Brown, Mike Carlton, Corinne Grant and Noni Hazlehurst, have joined the campaign to stop a marriage equality plebiscite.

Campaign group just.equal has released a declaration signed by of over 100 allies of LGBTIQ people, including 17 religious leaders, who have called on Parliament to block a plebiscite under all circumstances and allow a free vote instead.

Ivan Hinton-Teoh, spokesperson for just.equal, said,

"It's great to see so many allies of LGBTIQ people getting behind the campaign to stop a marriage equality plebiscite and have a free vote instead."

"We could never have done this without the help of the allies of LGBTIQ people who want equal marriage achieved by an equal process, not a divisive, damaging and unnecessary public vote."

"I know a majority of Senators have said they will vote against a plebiscite but the margin is very slim and we need to keep the pressure up until a plebiscite is finally knocked on the head."

"The declaration and list of signatories will be sent to all Senators and MPs before the plebiscite vote next week."

"We will also use the list to encourage more people to email their senators through the makeitlaw.com.au website."

Three lists are included below: the first is of the most prominent signatories on the declaration, the second are religious leaders who have signed, and the third is a full list.

A full list can also be found here: http://makeitlaw.com.au/allies/

The declaration of allies complements a similar declaration signed by 200 Australian LGBTIQ leaders and released last month.

For more information contact Ivan Hinton-Teoh on 0419 124 826.

DECLARATION

"We are proud allies of our LGBTIQ friends, family members and fellow Australians. We support marriage equality but don't want a plebiscite to get us there. We believe a plebiscite on marriage equality is unnecessary and will be costly and divisive. We are particularly concerned about the harm to vulnerable LGBTIQ people. We call on all federal politicians to vote against a plebiscite and for there to be a free vote on marriage equality instead."

LIST OF PROMINENT ALLIES

Van Badham - Writer
Dr Philip Bliss OAM - Former President, Jewish Community Council of Victoria
Noeline Brown - Actor
Anna Bruno - My Kitchen Rules
Peter Carey AO - Writer
Mike Carlton - Writer
Sam Cavanagh - Executive Producer, Southern Cross Austereo
Cr Belinda Coates - Deputy Mayor, City of Ballarat Council
Andrew Dettmer - National President, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Catherine Deveny - Writer, Comedian, Author
Dr Meredith Doig - President, Rationalist Society of Australia
Philippa Finney - Member of the Exec of Prahran Labor
Verity Firth - Executive Director, Social Justice, UTS
Dr Caroline Fleay - Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University
Jed Goodfellow - Animal Welfare Lawyer
Corinne Grant - Comedian, Writer and Law Graduate
Noni Hazlehurst AM - Actor
Shelly Horton - Producer, Presenter
Ged Kearney - President, Australian Council of Trade Unions
Jenny Kee - Fashion Designer
John Lochowiak - Aboriginal Elder
Sam McLean - Former Director, GetUp!
Canon Leigh Mackay - St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne
Prof Marion Maddox - Department of Politics, Macquarie University, Sydney
Mary Moody - Writer, Broadcaster
Rt Hon Clover Moore - Lord Mayor, City of Sydney
Rabbi Fred Morgan AM - Emeritus Rabbi, Temple Beth Israel
Kate Mulvany - Actor, Writer
Jan Owen AM - Youth Advocate
Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli - School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University
Fiona Patten - Victorian Legislative Council, Founder/Leader of Australian Sex Party
David Peake OAM
Nova Peris OAM - Former Australian Senator and Olympic Medallist

LIST OF CLERGY ALLIES

17 individuals

Dr Philip Bliss OAM, Former President, Jewish Community Council of Victoria

Roy Bradley, Anglican Priest (retired)

Pastor Brad Chilcott, Founder-Director, Welcome to Australia

Rev David Conolly

Rev Grant Edgcumbe, Vicar, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, East Melbourne

Rev Dr Jo Inkpin, Anglican Priest, Lecturer

Rev Penny Jones

Rabbi Rafael Kaiserblueth, Emanuel Synagogue

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins OAM, Emanuel Synagogue

Canon Leigh Mackay, St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne

Rev Dr Richard Mallaby

Rabbi Fred Morgan AM, Emeritus Rabbi, Temple Beth Israel

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio, Emanuel Synagogue

Fr Stuart Soley, Parish Priest, St Mark’s Anglican Church, Fitzroy

Rev Dr Craig de Vos

Rev Fred Wandmaker

Rev Dennis Webster

COMPLETE LIST

Tally: 114 individuals / 5 organisations

Dr Helen Austin

Palliative Care Physician (retired)

Van Badham

Writer

Assoc Prof Suzanne Belton

Charles Darwin University, School of Health

Paula Benson

Ovarian Cancer Advocate

Cailin Blackwood

Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University

Dr Philip Bliss OAM

Former President, Jewish Community Council of Victoria

Mark Bloch

Director, Holdsworth House Medical Practice

Dr Bernadette Bradley

Ally Program, Curtin University

Roy Bradley

Anglican Priest (retired)

Jess Brooklyn

Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University

Noeline Brown

Actor

Anna Bruno

My Kitchen Rules

Peter Burke

Adelaide

Heather Calma

Social Justice and Human Rights Advocate

Prof Tom Calma AO

Social Justice and Human Rights Advocate

Peter Carey AO

Writer

Mike Carlton

Writer

Jo Cavanagh OAM

Sam Cavanagh

Executive Producer, Southern Cross Austereo

Lizzie Cater

Producer/Producer's Assistant

Pastor Brad Chilcott

Founder-Director, Welcome to Australia

Cr Belinda Coates

Deputy Mayor, City of Ballarat Council

Rev David Conolly

Nicole Conner

Writer and Blogger

Dr Annette Corkhill

Writer and Member of PFLAG

Alistair Cowie

Higher Education

Neville Cowland

Architect

Carolyn Cross

Support Services, Curtin University

Prof Suzanne Crowe AM

Hayley Davis

Training Coordinator, Leadership Centre, Curtin University

Andrew Dettmer

National President, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

Catherine Deveny

Writer, Comedian, Author

Laura Devereux

PR Coordinator, Electric Collective

Dr Meredith Doig

President, Rationalist Society of Australia

Liz Dore

Relationships and Private Stuff

Rev Grant Edgcumbe

Vicar, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, East Melbourne

Ben Eltham

Independent Journalist

Tiffany Farrington

Director, Social Diary

Carol Fink

Principal Executive Coach, Centre for Human Potential

Philippa Finney

Member of the Exec of Prahran Labor

Verity Firth

Executive Director, Social Justice, UTS

Nick Fisher

Ally Program, Curtin University

Kim Flintoff

Ally Program and LGBTIQ Advisory Group, Curtin University

Dr Caroline Fleay

Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University

Dr Tim Gilley JP

Jed Goodfellow

Animal Welfare Lawyer

Cr Tony Goodfellow

City of Ballarat Council

Corinne Grant

Comedian, Writer and Law Graduate

David Green

Director, David J Green Associates

Mitra Gusheh

Director, Shift Space

Adj Prof Robert Guthrie

Curtin University

Belinda Harris

Curtin Careers and Employment Centre, Curtin University

Noni Hazlehurst AM

Actor

Jane van den Herik

Human Resources, Curtin University

Shelly Horton

Presenter, Producer

Rev Dr Jo Inkpin

Anglican Priest, Lecturer

Rev Penny Jones

Rabbi Rafael Kaiserblueth

Emanuel Synagogue

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins OAM

Emanuel Synagogue

Ged Kearney

President, Australian Council of Trade Unions

Jenny Kee

Fashion Designer

Rev Harry Kerr

Anglican Priest and Convenor, Pax Christi Victoria

Romy Konigseder

Talent Manager

Jim Laussen

Independent School Principal

Lui Lee

Curtin University

John Lochowiak

Aboriginal Elder

Dr Silvia Lozeva

Curtin University

Cr Angus McAlpine

City of Ballarat Council

Sam McLean

Former Director, GetUp!

Canon Leigh Mackay

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne

Prof Marion Maddox

Department of Politics, Macquarie University, Sydney

Rev Dr Richard Mallaby

Ashlyn Martin

Curtin University

Assoc Prof Barbara Masser

University of Queensland

Prof John Mills AO

Mary Moody

Broadcaster, Author

Rt Hon Clover Moore

Lord Mayor, City of Sydney

Rabbi Fred Morgan AM

Emeritus Rabbi, Temple Beth Israel

Kate Mulvany

Actor, Writer

Len Nielsen

Student Wellbeing Advisor, Curtin University

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio

Emanuel Synagogue

Judith North

Architect

Jan Owen AM

Youth Advocate

Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University

Fiona Patten

Victorian Legislative Council, Founder/Leader of Australian Sex Party

David Peake OAM

Nova Peris OAM

Former Australian Senator and Olympic Medallist

Rev Susan Pickering

Sam Pidgeon

Vice President, Queensland Teachers' Union

Prof Kathryn Refshauge

Carmen Reilly

Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University

Prof Joellen Riley

Dean and Professor of Labour Law, University of Sydney

Natasha Ritz

Brand Communications Manager, LUSH

Liberty Sanger

Principal and Director, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

Alex Scott

Branch Secretary, Together

Ali Smyth

Director, Electric Collective

Fr Stuart Soley

Parish Priest, St Mark’s Anglican Church, Fitzroy

Andrew Stafford

Author/Journalist

Yumi Stynes

Presenter

Chrissie Swan

Writer, TV and Radio Personality

Henri Szeps OAM

Actor

Chrys Stevenson

Blogger, Writer and ActivistPaul Syvret

Michelle Telfer

Head of Department of Adolescent Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Betty Verhelst

Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University

Rev Dr Craig de Vos

elicity Wade

National Co-Convenor, Labor Environment Action Network

Rev Fred Wandmaker

Dr Jane Wangmann

Legal Academic

Molly Warkentin

Makeup Artist

Christopher Wayne

Co-creator/Co Star, The Naked Magicians

Rev Dennis Webster

Zanita Whittington

Creative Director

Paul Yates

Curtin University

And the following organisations....

Australian Education Union

Ballarat Regional Trades & Labour Council

Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University

Queensland Teacher's Union

Rationalist Society of Australia