" Canberra Airport will be lighting up its new terminal in rainbow colours tonight and for the next week to say ‘yes’ to marriage equality, along with signage supporting the #WeCanDoThis campaign.
“We are attempting to highlight the deep, positive and strong feelings of the vast majority of the community in support of equality,” Airport Managing Director Stephen Byron said.
“Equality of same sex relationships is an issue that is very important for Canberra Airport – not only because we believe that equality is an essential right for our whole community but also because it has a particular personal significance for our family.
“My brother, Tom Snow, and his husband were married last year in New Zealand with their children and our extended family as witnesses. It struck me at this time how ridiculous it is that my relationship, and my wife and children, are afforded the protection and support of our government, yet Tom and his family are forced to travel overseas to get married.
“We hope that the rainbow image across the gateway to Australia’s National Capital will have similar impact to lighting up the White House after the historic US Supreme Court ruling determining marriage equality in the US in June this year.”
Switching on the lights, Tom Snow said: “Our family has always believed that everyone should be treated equally and given a fair go. We are here tonight to declare our support publicly and amplify the voices of the majority of Australians in favour of marriage equality.
“We are here tonight to say now is the time for change. Now is the time to give gay and lesbian Australians a fair go and recognise them as equals, as they are recognised in 21 other countries. Now is the time to show leadership for equality.
“No-one should underestimate how much the legal right to marry matters to my husband, me, and our three children. It matters to hundreds of thousands of gay Australians because it says: Your relationship is equal. You are equal. It matters to gay and lesbian young people who for too many years have grown up with the stigma and discrimination that homosexuality is somehow wrong.
“It is because it matters so much that we are here tonight lighting up this magnificent building in rainbow colours, and saying to our elected representatives: this issue should be above politics. Have a conscience vote. Listen to your gay and lesbian constituents and the majority of Australians who support equality. Have the courage to do what is right. Together, we can do this." ”
(family owners of) Canberra Airport, August 9, 2015.
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