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Australia: Rainbow connection: tens of thousands say 'I do' to marriage equality

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Sydney’s rally in support of same-sex marriage was the largest demonstration in favour of marriage equality the country has ever seen, with organisers saying more than 30,000 people attended.

Crowds spilled out of Town Hall Square in central Sydney, out across George Street and made exiting Town Hall station difficult for a time.

The atmosphere at the rally was one of celebration, despite the seriousness of the subject and the pain and anger being expressed by some of the speakers and attendees.

Before the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, and the deputy opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, took to the podium, the audience was wowed by Tim Blackman, a young Indigenous teacher from a school in Mount Druitt. 

“We are here to say the message of equality and acceptance is centred around a very simple, very easy 13-letter word: ‘yaaaaaaaaaaas’,” he said to laughter and applause from the audience.

As a member of the NSW Teachers Federation, he said thousands of teachers around the country were fighting for the rights of their LGBTI+ students – “your right to be who you are, your right to attend a safe school and your right to be fabulous”. Read more via the Guardian

Organisers are claiming an LGBT rally for marriage equality rights attracted more than 20,000 people in Sydney, making it the biggest demonstration of its kind in Australia's history. You cannot tell where this marriage equality rally begins and ends

#marriagequality #sydney pic.twitter.com/elKx5TRbTh- Sally McManus (@sallymcmanus) September 10, 2017

It is part of a campaign ahead of a non-binding postal vote, costing over 100 million euros.