Until we all bow the knee on same-sex marriage

Apr 15, 2017 by

by Monica Doumit, Catholic Weekly:

Last week, it was announced that Until We All Belong would be launched. The campaign sees AirBNB team up with other players like Qantas, Foxtel, ANZ, Google and eBay to bring you the ‘acceptance ring;’ a black ring which does not close up. The gap is meant to symbolise the ‘gap’ in marriage legislation which does not allow same-sex couples to be married.

Simultaneously, a series of videos was released, with various people saying that they would wear the ring until their sister, brother, aunt, uncle, best friend etc. can ‘belong.’

Many of them spoke about the need to ‘close the gap.’

I have to admit to being amused that this was labelled as “the most public corporate declaration for marriage equality in Australia to date,” because it seems that all we have at the moment are corporate declarations about marriage, including the recent letter from more than 20 corporate CEOs to the Prime Minister attempting to change his mind on a people’s vote; scores of corporate floats in the Mardi Gras Parade; Qantas swapping the red and white on its planes for the rainbow flag; full page advertisements taken out in national newspapers and more.

There is nothing grassroots about the campaign to redefine marriage; everything about it is a “public corporate declaration.” But yes, the ‘acceptance rings’ are another one.

I was also surprised that the campaign would co-opt the language of ‘closing the gap.’ The Close the Gap campaign is a serious one which seeks to address the profound difference in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

This “gap” is a real issue of human rights and real issue of equality, and so I seriously question the social awareness of someone who thinks using the same language in a push to redefine marriage is wise or just.

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