Advocates say marriage equality research dispels concerns about concerted opposition to the reform among migrants living in Australians. Earlier this week, Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells told the Press Club marriage equality: “would raise strong opposition to the faith of many Australians, especially our migrant communities who consider marriage a bedrock institution.”
However, in 2013 research by the Australian National University found majority support among Australia’s large UK and New Zealand communities, and an absence of strong opposition among migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds.
“It is a form of stereotyping to suggest migrants oppose marriage equality when the fact is that many are acutely aware of the damage done by prejudice and discrimination from their own personal experience,” said Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome. “It’s also clear from the ANU research that many migrants do not have strong views on the issue.”
“I believe that with culturally-appropriate materials explaining what marriage equality means, many migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds would back the reform, including in a plebiscite.”
Writing about the ANU research in an article for Crikey, journalist Mark Kearney said: “Maybe those who neither agreed nor disagreed were undecided when it came to marriage equality. Maybe they didn’t particularly care. But it certainly can’t be said they were opposed to same-sex marriage.”
To read Mr Kearney’s article click here. To view the table click here.
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