If the Lieberals had just once allowed a conscience vote on any one of the private members bills that had been tabled in the decade previously we would not have needed the survey so your comment is worthless.

No doubt it was hard and unnecessary but the reality is without Malcolm Turnbull this would not have happened as Rudd, Gillard did nothing for same sex marriage.

I certainly don’t want the gay community to just rely on Labor and the Greens as if we do that then we will be repeating the mistakes of the US gay community who rely on the Democrats and look where they are no because they have not tried to get support within Republican ranks.

@Robert McCormick you are completely WRONG.

The record shows in 2012 Bill Shorten spoke out and voted in favour of marriage equality (Turnbull did not).

The record also shows Shorten is the first major political party leader to march in Mardi Gras. Turnbull quaffs the champers in the VIP section, but has NEVER marched in Mardi Gras, even though it occurs in his electorate!

We can blame Turnbull for forcing the optional postal survey – but we cannot thank him for change in law!

PLEASE desist Immediately.

As a Member of this Community who is Not Gay, but is Trans, PLEASE remember this Community is NOT just about Gay People or Gay Issues. Personally Last Years bottom half was hell on earth for me. I had my own mailbox ripped off my fence and thrown through my window after someone objected to the Rainbow and Trans Flags being on Dispaly in my Yard, death threats in my mailbox were also left and I got jumped and left with a cracked rib.
Worst of all 3 of the Most Beautiful People are now gone, after it all became too much for them. The ‘Great Debate’ as I refer to it, was not the Sole Cause in their Decesion, but it was in at least all 3 of these cases the straw that broke their backs and made everything too much to bear (all were in my age range 30s to late 40s).

Its called LGBTIQ or LGBTIQ+ for a Reason, please remember that.

One of the Reasons that I have such Pride at being Part of this Community is the feeling of Unity it has as a Group. The Support that we show to one another in times of trouble, even if Complete Strangers is Universal, Please don’t let us loose that.

Oops, correction, Abbott Joyce and Christensen abstained, not voted No, but were just as useless as if they had voted No so it’s a minor detail.

The UK has gay marriage, no plebiscite or postal survey. New Zealand has gay marriage, no plebiscite or postal survey. In both cases, these things were introduced under a centre-right government very much the equivalent of our Liberal Party.

But according to you Australians can’t cope with this. Are we too stupid? Are we just too redneck? WHY DID WE NEED A POSTAL SURVEY???? Please explain.

Also Shorten voted for marriage equality in the House of Representatives in 2012. Turnbull voted AGAINST. Please remind me why he’s such a supporter of the community while Shorten isn’t? Why did Labor MP’s like Tony Burke who’s electorate voted No vote Yes, while Liberal/National MP’s like Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce and George Christensen vote No when their electorates voted Yes? You can’t explain these things other than homophobia.