By Margaret Maccoll
Being married for long-term partners Kirsty Patten and Linda Boyes would mean recognition and acceptance in the community of their commitment to each other.
Kirsty said marriage equality wouldn’t change the way they lived but saw it as the last hurdle to gaining equal respect.
“Adoption is legal for gay couples. There is access to IVF. It’s just about that recognition,” she said.
“To be able to say my wife, my husband, to be able to be called a widow or widower and have that partnership acknowledged.”
The couple have a nine-year-old girl, Bonnie, who was unaware before seeing media reports discussing marriage equality that her parents couldn’t marry.
“We’ve lived in country Queensland and not once has there been an issue about having two mums,” Kirsty said.
“Her life is as ordinary as other families.”
Kirsty can’t see the “big deal” about changing the legislation as has occurred in other countries.
“Now society is totally ready for this. I feel totally accepted and I always have.
“Everybody is pretty sick of hearing about it. I just think it’s such a simple thing to do. It seems like we’ve done so many surveys what is the justification of spending all this money when the outcome of it is not binding.”
Kirsty said if the legislation was passed she would have no issue with churches choosing not to marry gays but would have an issue with discrimination from wedding services refusing her business.
