The Equality One

I have three girls. They are kind and smart and brave and inquisitive and funny and beautiful and a little crazy. I tell them to do what makes them happy, follow a path of love and always be good to others. I whisper to them while they sleep that they can do whatever they want, to reach for the stars. To dream big. I desperately want for them to live long, happy lives, full of adventures. I want them to love and be loved with such ferocity that their souls shine. I say to them: "One day you will meet someone who you love and they will love you for everything you are. You might have babies. You might get married. You might not. You might not get married or have children. You might rather be alone. But whatever you choose, you will be happy. Be kind to yourself, don't judge others and follow your heart. Be the best you, you can be. You are not restricted by what others expect of you. There are no boundaries to what you can achieve. Life is joyful, find your joy."

I am careful not to perpetuate the stereotypical - you will only be truly happy and whole when you get married, buy a house, have 2.5 kids and a dog. I want my girls to know they have life choices. They may fall in love with men or women or not fall in love at all. They may have four children or choose not to have children or may be unable to have kids. They may choose to dedicate their life to helping others or to their career. They may choose to have it all. There are many outcomes for them. I ache with desire for them to be happy, healthy and surrounded by love. I want them to find what drives them, what they enjoy and make a living out of it. I want them to be anything they want to be. Most of all, I want them to be happy and laugh often. I want them to find their joy.

This is why I am deeply saddened by the Federal Government's resistance to same-sex marriage. I feel like I am lying to my children - there are boundaries, not only in workplaces and opportunities, but in love as well. Everyone should be allowed to marry, regardless of who they love. Love is love is love. If my children or their friends or family are gay, I want my them to have the right to marry their partner. I am a mother and I will fight to ensure my girls do not live in a society based on prejudice.

That is why I encourage people from all walks of life to show their support for Australian Marriage Equality. They are asking real families from all over Australia, to share their marriage stories and tell those boofheads in Canberra that ALL relationships are equal.

National Convener of Australian Marriage Equality Alex Greenwhich hopes their latest campaign Real Families, Real Stories, Marriage Equality goes to Canberra, will "make MPs aware that the issue doesn’t just affect couples who can’t get married, but also their friends, families and many others in the community".

Families will be gathering in Canberra on October 12 to make sure their voices are heard and many more Australians will share their personal stories through the MyMarriageStory.com.au website.

So, if this is something you believe in then please think about how you can show support for this most important issue. You could even pop my I *heart* Equal Love button on your blog, if you want. You can find it on my side bar.

What are you thoughts on Australian Marriage Equality? What are your hopes for your children?