Parramatta MP Julie Owens stands by her beliefs on same sex marriage
PARRAMATTA has spoken but its representative in parliament, who has the final say on marriage equality, will go against them — she wants same sex marriage to go ahead.
Parramatta
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PARRAMATTA has spoken but its representative in parliament, who has the final say on marriage equality, will go against them — she wants same sex marriage to go ahead.
Having a different opinion to a large portion of her Parramatta electorate is “normal” to Parramatta Labor MP Julie Owens.
“Your ability to please everybody is over when you win a marginal seat,” she said.
Nationally, 61.6 per cent of voters said yes to marriage equality while western Sydney suburbs favoured the no vote.
Parramatta was among the 17 electorates across the nation where majority of voters said no with only 38.6 per cent said yes.
“I support same sex marriage. I made it clear before the last election,” she said.
“I might have been rethinking if there was a really strong national ‘no’ but there was such a strong national ‘yes’.”
Ms Owens said she expected the voters in her seat to be less in favour than the general population but she was surprised when she heard no represented 61.6 per cent of her electorate.
She said there wasn’t one reason why more voters said no in Sydney’s west but there was fear in the community if marriage equality does go ahead.
“I have spoken to people who believe it will impact their child’s education,” she said.
“There are some who are concerned that their children will be taught that it (being gay) is okay.”
“Now we have to have a conversation that brings those fears out and addresses them. We need a more realistic view of how little impact it will have.”
She said there weren’t many happy people in Parramatta since the results were announced last Wednesday.
“You’ve got people in the LGBTQI community who know people voted that way,” she said.
“They aren’t happy and if you’re part of the 61 per cent who voted no, the vast majority of Australia is against you and some people are asking if you’re a bigot.
“I don’t think there’s a great deal of bigotry or hatred (in Parramatta). There are small numbers of people who feel the need to make dreadful comments.”
Ms Owens said the vote meant more than LGBTQI people having the rights to marry. It gave them assurances that heterosexual couples had.
“They will have choice like I can ... next of kin rights and superannuation,” she said.
WESTERN SYDNEY COUPLE’S TAKE ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE
PARRAMATTA couple Portia Turbo and Jin are elated and terrified at the same sex marriage survey results.
“I’m elated Australia voted yes. Terrified that the politicians are going to ruin all of that ... I think they will enshrine more bigotry,” Mr Turbo said.
The couple has been together six years and moved to Sydney’s west a few years ago. Not once have they noticed the divide in people’s views on same sex marriage here.
“We’re living in the third highest no vote (electorate) and I don’t notice it,” the drag queen said.
“I’ve never felt bigotry within Parramatta, having moved from Redfern a few years ago.”
Before marriage equality was a possible reality they’d discussed moving to Canada, a place where same sex marriage was legally recognised in 2005.
With Australia’s decision imminent, boyfriend Jin, a sparky with NSW TrainLink proposed. He put out all the stops and got on one knee in a park under fairy lights with Tiffany diamonds to ask for Mr Turbo’s hand a month ago. He said yes!
“It was the whole kit and caboodle. We are now waiting with bated breath for legality,” he said.
“I think we had both grown up with the expectation of never being allowed to do such a thing.”
Mr Turbo recalls his childhood.
“Mum told me I was gay when I was 10,” he said.
“She didn’t say ‘you’re gay’, she said I probably wouldn’t have to worry about marrying a woman.
“At the time it didn’t really mean anything to me, but I didn’t spend the three to 10 years of my life, like most gay people, obsessing about coming out to their families and all of their friends.”
Sadly his mum died in 2001, before the push for marriage equality was tangible and within reach for the Australian population.
“Before that she was just happy I was safe and well and a good kid,” he said.
Mr Turbo said the strain on the LGBTQI community while the same sex marriage debate went on, Australia had “lost some of its brightest and best”, with them moving overseas.
“We’ve had a brain drain of LGBTQI people because of the wait,” he said.
GOVERNMENT VOTES TO PASS SAME SEX MARRIAGE THIS YEAR
HOW THEY VOTED
Parramatta
Yes 38.4%
No 61.6%
Participation rate 74.8%
NSW
Yes 57.8%
No 42.2%
Participation rate 79.5%
Australia
Yes 61.6%
No 38.4%
Participation rate 79.5%