Gay couple solve 鈥榤arry me鈥� mystery
A gay couple has captured the hearts of a Queensland city after they were revealed as the authors of a mysterious marriage proposal.
On September 7, a Toowoomba local looked out his window to see the words 鈥楳arry Me鈥� drawn in eight-foot high pink letters on the side of Table Top Mountain.
Married already, he contacted Toowoomba鈥檚 The Chronicle newspaper which started a search for the mystery romantics, with a local bridal store offering them a free wedding dress.
The following week a local gay man contacted the paper, explaining he鈥檇 made the sign using rocks coloured with red chalk to propose to his same-sex partner of three years on a bushwalk.
He told the paper he鈥檇 planned the sign so it would come into view when they got to the top of a nearby hill as a surprise for his partner.
Same-sex couples in Queensland can neither marry or access a relationship registration scheme, but the proposal was accepted and the couple is now planning a commitment ceremony with friends and family.
Chronicle journalist Anthea Gleeson told Southern Star Observer the story had captured locals鈥� imaginations despite the area鈥檚 reputation as being perhaps not the most friendly place in the world for gay people.
鈥淲e were really surprised when we found out it was two men involved. The people who own the wedding store were a bit surprised too,鈥� Gleeson said.
鈥淲e put an online poll on the story, asking readers to vote on whether same-sex marriages should be legalised, and 70 percent of people said yes.鈥�
The couple chose to remain anonymous, but they鈥檙e not on the run from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
鈥淭he chalk was non-toxic and washed away with the recent rains,鈥� Gleeson explained.
They also refused the free wedding dress, explaining they weren鈥檛 the dress-wearing kind.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Alex Greenwich said the story showed marriage equality wasn鈥檛 just an issue in the nation鈥檚 capitals.
Rod Goodbun from lobby group Action Reform Change Queensland said the couple might be waiting a while for legal recognition in the state.
鈥淚n terms of a Queensland state-based scheme, while there is a commitment to work on one, we haven鈥檛 seen any action,鈥� Goodbun said.
