Congratulations to Byron council for making a stand to publicly support gay marriage. It is wrong to discriminate against valued members of our communities on grounds of sexual difference from the ‘norm’, whatever that is. Many of these relationships have children and they must be protected under adequate law that acknowledges and accepts these families.
Marriage is about love, commitment and bonding families emotionally and legally. It is not about sex – ask any long term married person. That laws still exist disallowing same-sex marriage is archaic and sexist. A stand for change must be made and what better place than Byron Shire? Let’s get some positive national and international publicity for a change. It’s a win-win situation, good for them, good for the shire. Weddings are big business and we want to attract tourists who will spend more money here than backpackers.
Our wedding day was the happiest day of both my husband’s and my lives. It was then that I received the quaint moniker Mrs Appel-Pye. Husband’s name, Appel – accent on the pel – and my family name, Pye. The things we do for love. He didn’t. Might people laugh at, ridicule or disbelieve this strange name? Of course they do.
Magenta Appel-Pye
the word marriage makes me cringe bringing up all the connotations of gay condemning religions. I agree, gay couples should have the same rights under the law as mixed sex couples, but there is really no need to ape heterosexual marriage rituals. My partner and me have been in 38 year same sex relationship and never found the need or desire to formalise our bond with a piece of paper or to adopt or produce kids and form a family. We are happy to have each other and to enjoy our life without the shackles of marriage. As for turning Byron into a happy gay marriage place, no thank you, the only ones that would benefit from this would be our already greedy and often anti gay business community