Australia same-sex marriage referendum 'a complete waste of time', LGBT community says

Will Australia become the 25th country to legalise same-sex marriage?

People attend a rally for marriage equality of same-sex couples in Sydney (Reuters)

Results on the Australian marriage equality poll are set to be revealed on 15th of November, though this alone is unlikely to be the deciding factor as to whether or not same-sex marriage becomes legal. The poll is non-binding, and unlike electoral voting in Australia which requires all those eligible to vote, the referendum is voluntary.

In the event of a “Yes” vote – which has been predicted in the opinion polls, Malcolm Turnbull’s coalition government has agreed to a private members bill that would allow for a parliamentary debate on the issue. If the Australian public vote no, no debate will take place. It’s estimated that around 75 per cent of eligible voters have taken part in the survey.

For those in the LGBT community, the vote is extremely controversial. They see the Au$122m referendum as costly delay to the deliverance of equality, and have been critical of the platform the government have given to homophobia.

At a Sydney rally in late October, allies and people from community turned out in their thousands to encourage people to turn out and vote, all the while expressing their dissatisfaction with the voting process.

Bree Jacobs, 26, who is a law student based in Sydney told The Independent the entire vote was “a waste of tax-payer money.”

Sydney's LGBT community have been protesting ahead of the results on Wednesday (Blaize Pengilly)

“It’s not a good idea, I doubt you’ll find anyone here who does think it’s a good idea. It’s an attack on the community and its allowing people a voice on the matter who shouldn’t be given one in the first place. The government should realise they’ve hurt a lot of people.”

Around 5,000 – 10,000 people attended the event which marched from the cities Central Station along a main motorway to Victoria Park. The crowd, though optimistic about the possibility of marriage equality in Australia, couldn't hide their disappointment at the manner in which the vote has come about, and the public attacks on the LGBT community by the 'no' campaign.

Bonnie and Shaun, who both live in Sydney but are originally from Melbourne were admant on the effects the vote could have on the already unpopular Australian coalition. "I think in the long term the government are going to get voted out pretty quickly if there is a no vote" said Shaun, with Bonnie adding that they should be "ashamed of themselves."

Fellow protestor Dannie, 24, turned up to the rally with her dog Bindy, carrying a sign reading "I'm a dog and I support same-sex marriage. It would affect me as much as it would affect you."

Dannie, and her dog Bindy, joined crowds in Sydney late last month (Blaize Pengilly)

There have so far been two legal challenges against the authority of the vote, which is being conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics – both have been dismissed by the Australian high court and the survey, for now, remains legal.

Campaigners we spoke to at the Sydney rally echoed this frustration. Norrie, who was born in Scotland but now lives in Sydney called on the government to "do the job you are elected to do."

"I don't understand why we are being put through this ridiculous vote. I could get married if I went back [to Scotland], but I can't here. Do your job and give us the same rights as our fellow Australians.

The results of the vote, due on Wednesday, come amid a difficult time for the Australian government.

Norrie, originally from Scotland, called on the government to scrap the vote and legalise same-sex marriage (Blaize Pengilly)

The UN has ruled the vote 'inadequate" to deliver a democratic decision, in a report released yesterday. The report slammed the country's record for human rights, calling attention to not just the referendum but also recent stand-off's with Australian offciails with refugees on Manus Island.

"The committee is of the view that to resort to public opinion polls to facilitate upholding rights is not an acceptable decision-making method"

"such an approach risks further marginlisation and stigmatization of minority groups."

The report called on Australia to amend its marriage laws "irrespective of the poll result."