It’s not every day the Red and Blue side of politics get together to share a snag or two.
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But they did exactly that on Friday to present bi-partisan support for marriage equality.
The barbecue at the University of Wollongong was co-hosted by the UOW Labor and Liberal Clubs, to raise funds for headspace Wollongong’s LGBTIQ youth group, Rainbow League.
Kayla Steele, who facilitates the Rainbow League, said the support was welcomed.
‘’The group that I facilitate with headspace is made up of young people who come from such different and diverse backgrounds, who are really being impacted by the plebiscite,’’ she said.
‘’I think there is divisiveness in the community and there is also divisiveness within Australian society, and the young people that I’m working with are meeting homophobia not only in the home or the school but also then in the general media.
It can be really isolating and scary for a young person to face homophobia in every direction that they turn...
- Kayla Steele
‘’It can be really isolating and scary for a young person to face homophobia in every direction that they turn and so what we do is we try and create a safe space for them.’’
Steele said it was a ‘’shame’’ it had got to this point but it was important now to stand together as a community and show support for sexuality and gender diverse people.
‘’This is especially the case for young people because they’re such a vulnerable population,’’ she said.
UOW Liberal Club president Cameron McLeod believed all political parties on campus supported marriage equality.
‘’I really think it is important that we demonstrate here on campus that this is one of the important issues, this is not a partisan football to be kicked around, this is something important that means a lot to everyday Australians,’’ he said.
It is really great to see a strong bi-partisan support and I would like to thank the UOW Labor Club for their assistance, they have been absolutely invaluable in bringing today together.
- Cameron McLeod
‘’I’m very pleased to have worked with Caitlin [Roodenrys] on this measure.
‘’It is really great to see a strong bi-partisan support and I would like to thank the UOW Labor Club for their assistance, they have been absolutely invaluable in bringing today together.’’
Roodenrys, the UOW Labor Club president added it was great to have local Labor and Liberal members together demonstrating their strong commitment to ‘’getting marriage equality done’’.
Ryan Park, Paul Scully and Shayne Mallard were among the Labor and Liberal federal and state politicians who supported the barbecue.