Source: Maitland Mercury
Photographer Luke Gow has embarked on an artistic project to bring about meaningful change for the legalisation of same-sex marriage.
Earlier this year the Lorn photographer decided to launch a campaign telling the stories of 52 same-sex couples who desperately want to marry.
Titled “It’s Up To Us” (#itsuptous#) the artistic push will see Luke photograph each couple in an artistic message to Australia’s federal politicians.
“Once a week for 52 weeks, the postcards – and equally importantly the stories, hopes, and dreams of these couples – will be sent to all 150 members of the House of Representatives and all 76 members of the Australian Senate,” Luke said.
“The postcards will serve as a weekly reminder to Australia’s political representatives of the disparity that currently exists in Australian society in relation to the right to marry. Unfortunately, in Australia there is a group of people who, despite loving each other very much, aren’t able to marry based on their gender and that doesn’t make any sense,” Luke said.
Helping to kick off the campaign are Christina and Harmonie Attwill. Two women who want simply want to legalise their love.
“To our friends and family our relationship is recognised as a marriage. And that’s important to us,” Christina said. “But it’s still different.”
In recognition of their marriage (the couple recently exchanged vows on the verandah of their newly-acquired cottage), Christina chose to adopt Harmonie’s surname forfeiting all forms of her previous identification.
“Changing my name was a completely different experience compared to those of my friends who are legally married,” Christina said. “I had to give up my previous identifications and I won’t get those back. I had to legally change my name instead of just taking Harmonie’s on.”
Christina, 28, and Harmonie, 29, of East Maitland, are the Hunter’s second couple to take part in a nationwide campaign designed to further ignite the debate surrounding the legalisation of same sex marriage.
“A commitment ceremony does differ from a marriage,” Christina said. “In our hearts and to our friends and family, it’s exactly the same but there are going to be a few hurdles to being committed and having children.
“But our wedding day was just as beautiful as I could imagine anyone else’s to be. In fact it was probably better because it was so much fun.”
The first postcard of the project is the story of Prue Hamill, 24, and Celeste Pollard. 29.
Together for two years, the Hunter women are now settled with their dogs Frank and Bronson. They talk about the future, how many children they will have, what their names will be, how they will be educated . . . that sort of thing.
“We have looked at rings and, in time, all our family and friends will be there on a day when we will commit our love and lives to each other,” the women said. “At the end of it, to us we will be married but, legally and to the world, it will seem like we had a big party.
“Giving us the right to marry will give our future children the same rights as other children and recognition of their family. We are already defacto but that just doesn’t have the same level of hold or respect that a marriage has.”
Luke hopes the Commonwealth government follows New Zealand’s progressive lead by recognising and legalising same sex marriage in Australia.
“The postcards (as part of the campaign) will assumptively thank them for doing so,” he said.
Luke is now looking for more same sex couples to be a part of the It’s Up To Us project. He is also using the crowd funding initiative Kickstart.com to get the project up and running.
“We need to raise $76,000 by August 9 to run this campaign,” Luke said. “So if marriage equality is something you feel passionate about please make a pledge.”
Pledges to the It’s Up To Us project can be made via www.itsuptous.com.au
