"This is why I'm boycotting marriage"

I’m boycotting marriage!

I’m sitting here writing this beyond exhausted that marriage equality is still a topic we are discussing.  Also putting pen to paper are six Victorian Catholic Bishops. They are busy frantically scribing letters asking their parishioners to support their homophobic ways. With three bills before Federal Parliament hoping to change the legal definition of marriage, it seems the Bishops have got themselves into a tizz. One of them has uttered the nonsense, “next it might be polygamy.”  Really? What brilliant logic.  At this rate people will be able to marry their family pets!  It’s the end of civilization!

It’s just insane to me that still today your sexual orientation determines whether you can enjoy the same basic right to marry the person you love.

Some of my all time favourite days have been seeing my family and friends getting hitched. I loooove going to a wedding.  Being in a room of people intoxicated by love is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon. I’m pretty sure I have single handily kept Kleenex afloat thanks to my uncontrollable ‘ugly cry’ at weddings.  I once danced the Macarena so enthusiastically that I dislocated my shoulder.

I have been with my boyfriend Sam for eight years.  We have one offspring together and plan on breeding many more. We are very committed to each other and even still occasionally open mouth kiss, but neither of us desires to make it ‘official’ through the sacrament of marriage.

For a while I thought that my aversion to tying the knot was because the thought of choosing who would make the guest list worked me into a cold sweat.  But the more I think about the ridiculous discrimination of gay people, the less I want anything to do with it.

When discussing same sex marriage with my friends, one of my gay mates said, “If there was a nightclub that had a policy of only letting straight people in, would you go there?”  The point he was making is an interesting one.  How can I be appalled that same sex couples still can’t get married, but then take part in this ritual myself?

Here’s where the greater issue lies for me.  Discriminating against gay people getting married is spoiling this beautiful institution for ALL people.  This is not a gay issue anymore.  This is a human issue.  Love is love.  If two people are lucky enough to fall in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together, why would we allow our government to decide if they can get married or not?  I’d like our government to build better schools, fix the environment, provide health care, not decide whose love is worthy!!!  Ok…sorry…deep breath!

My Mother doesn’t hide her desire for me to get married. The odd bridal magazine is bought over to my apartment and subtly placed on my coffee table. So here is my commitment to you Mum, you will see me walk down the aisle when marriage can be enjoyed by all people who are in love. Until then your Grandson will remain an illegitimate child. I’m boycotting marriage.

As of yesterday, when submissions closed, the senate inquiry into marriage equality has received at least 45,000 individual submissions in favour of marriage equality. This is the highest number of submissions received in favour of any issue in the history of parliamentary inquiries.

Katie “Monty” Dimond is a broadcaster and media personality. She has appeared on Channel Ten, Channel Nine, and Nova FM. She is currently busy being a full time Mum and loving it! You can (and should) follow her on Twitter here.