New resources created to help Australians from non-English speaking backgrounds engage in positive and respectful conversations about marriage equality were launched by federal MPs and The Equality Campaign at Parliament House today.
An event hosted by the Parliamentary Friendship Group for LGBTI Australians introduced the resources that feature key messages and approaches to
promote civil marriage equality in multicultural communities. The materials have been produced in nine of Australia’s most commonly spoken languages: English, Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Hindi, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Korean.
“These resources will assist MPs to have conversations about marriage equality with their constituents and reinforce to them that this is simply about civil marriage equality and affording every Australian the same dignity and respect,” The Equality Campaign Executive Director Tiernan Brady said.
“These materials are invaluable in assisting supporters from multicultural backgrounds to engage their family members and friends, many of whom do not speak English in their home.
Brady said the group had drawn upon the support of people across many communities to create and launch these materials.
The Equality Campaign’s Multicultural Outreach Coordinator Francis Voon (pictured) said there is a significant amount of tradition wrapped up in marriage and so many LGBTI Australians want to be part of those traditions.
“The majority of people across our many communities want their LGBTI family and friends to have the same opportunities to celebrate their loving and committed relationships,” he said.
“People from minority communities understand from their histories and all too often from their own experiences the impact of not being treated with equal respect and dignity. That is why the majority of people from across our many communities including first generation Australians support marriage equality for all.
“At the heart of this campaign is fairness and equality and these are values that multicultural communities value about Australia. We are promoting love respect and happiness and these resources make it easier to have these important conversations.”
The resources can be downloaded from The Equality Campaign’s website.
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