Joint statement: Australia’s entertainment industry says YES to marriage equality
Joint statement by the Equity and ECS sections of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, Live Performance Australia and Screen Producers Australia:
The time has come for marriage equality.
Australia’s live performance industry embraces diversity and strives to promote equality for all Australians, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or physical or intellectual disabilities.
Our industry is one with a high proportion of LGBTQI+ people who are currently being discriminated against by the Marriage Act which fails to bestow them with the same rights as heterosexual couples. Marriage equality would make a material difference to many of our members’ lives.
We believe the time has come for the Marriage Act to be reformed to allow same sex couples to marry. Our preference would be for this reform to be determined by the Parliament, but we accept that a postal survey is now a reality. This issue has dragged on for far too long and needs to be resolved once and for all by Parliament as soon as possible after the survey.
Live Performance Australia (LPA) supports a ‘yes’ vote. We encourage all of our members to consider this important issue and where they can support the industry position.
MEAA’s entertainment and arts industry members encourage everyone to actively support the campaign for a ‘yes’ vote and to look out for our LGBTQI+ community members during this campaign.
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) supports marriage equality. This support fits naturally with SPA’s founding membership of the Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network. SPA encourages all its members to engage with the postal survey and vote ‘yes’.
Over the coming months we urge all parties to be respectful of each other and refrain from hurtful language as this issue is debated.
To our LGBTQI+ members we say: we stand with you and look forward to the day when you are treated as equal under law.
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance is the union for Australian performers, stage and screen crew, and entertainment workers, protecting and improving our members’ working conditions, lobbying and campaigning to improve the industries in which they work, hosting industry events, awarding excellence, providing professional development and protecting job opportunities. More information: meaa.org
Live Performance Australia (LPA) is the peak body for Australia’s live performance industry, with over 400 members nationally including commercial and independent producers, music promoters, performing arts companies, venues and theatres, festivals and service providers. More information: liveperformance.com.au
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) was formed by the screen industry to represent large and small production enterprises across a diverse production slate of feature film, television and interactive content that drive over $1.7 billion worth of annual production activity. More information: screenproducers.com.au
Media contacts:
MEAA: Mark Phillips – 03 9691 7105 or mark.phillips@meaa.org
LPA: Susan Fitzpatrick-Napier – 02 8218 2144 or susan@dmgpr.com
SPA: James Cheatley – 02 2 8076 5878 or james.cheatley@screenproducers.org.au
Joint statement: Australia’s entertainment industry says YES to marriage equality
Last update: August 24, 2017
