Marches have held around the world over the weekend, from Melbourne to Warsaw, calling for equal rights for lgbti people. Melbourne In Melbourne marriage equality supporters joined politicians from across the political spectrum om the steps of Parliament House to call on the federal government to grant a free vote on marriage equality. “It is time for the many in the Liberal and National parties who support equality to step up,” Labor Senator Penny Wong told the crowd. “I acknowledge the courage of those that have come forward, and it is time for Tony Abbott to get out of the way.” Singapore Nearly 30,000 people have taken part in Singapore’s Pink Dot rally, in a nation where gay sex remains criminalised. “While some congregate on the pretext of protecting the conventional family, we are here to embrace all families, and all individuals. We believe everyone deserves the Freedom to Love, and the Freedom to be themselves,” Pink Dot spokesperson Paerin Choa said of the event. “We recognise that the journey towards inclusivity and diversity in Singapore is still some way off, but we are confident that we will be able to achieve this together, one day in the near future.” After a concert, a giant pink dot was made with torches, phones and light sticks (see the video below – which has been effectively banned from being screened in public in Singapore) as those gathered sang Put a Little Love in Your Heart. Warsaw In Warsaw, thousands took to the streets to celebrated pride and call for equality, with the theme “we are also family.” They called for marriage and adoption rights for everyone, in predominantly Catholic Poland. Belfast In Belfast, more than 20 thousand people marched calling for marriage equality in Northern Ireland, which was the first place in the UK to offer civil partnerships. “Ten years later, with every other part of these islands recognising marriage equality, citizens in Northern Ireland have effectively been left behind,” the Irish Congress of Trade Unions says. Same-sex marriage has been debated in the Northern Irish Assembly four times, but been blocked each time. Meanwhile its southern neighbour has passed marriage equality via a referendum. Rome Over in Italy, the only western European nation without same-sex marriages or civil unions, thousands marched to celebrate Rome Pride and call for marriage equality. In February, Italy's highest court ruled same-sex couples are not entitled to marriage rights under the constitution of the firmly Catholic nation. Last weekend, at Sao Paulo Pride, the message was "I was born this way, I grew up so I will always be like this: respect me," at a nation where rates of homophobic and transphobic violence remain high.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 15th June 2015 - 9:59am