To the Honourable the speaker and members of the house of representatives:

This petition of certian citizens of Australia draws the attention of the House to:

~the failure of theCommonwealth Marriage Act (1961) to allow marriages to be solemnised between partners of the same sex;

~the failure of the Marriage Act to recognise same-sex marriages solomnised in other countries;

~the great harm this does to same-sex partners and their families by discriminating against them, entrenching a second-class legal status, and perpetuations prejudice and stigma;

~the great harm this does to marriage by associating it with discriminatin; and,

~the fact that an increasing number of other countries allow same-sex marriage, and most Australians support it.

We therefore ask the House to:

~amend the Commonwealth Marriage Act so that marriages may be solemnised, and overseas marriage recognised, regardless of the sex of the partners concerned.

I am a lesbian, and my partner and I would love nothing more than to some day have the opportunity to wed and build a family, we are people too and deserve equal rights.