Weddings, Singers

Ten years ago, some key words were added to the Marriage Act. Marriage was formally and legally defined as a `voluntarily entered-into union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others'.

This weekend I attended a rally organised by Equal Love to commemorate this law and call for change. Standing in the crowd on the steps of the State Library, I listened to several speakers, including Tony Briffa, the world’s first openly intersex mayor. Briffa made sure to point out an often-forgotten yet hugely limiting aspect of marriage inequality: as an intersex person who identifies as both male and female, they cannot legally marry without defining themselves as either a woman or a man – they cannot marry without lying. The term ‘same-sex marriage’ does not cover the problems faced by intersex people, nor trans people, who, when marriage is not equal, must annul their marriage for their gender identity (NOT necessarily sex) to be fully recognised in law. Equal marriage is not as simple as 'same-sex marriage'. And while we’re at it, the idea of sex as a simple binary doesn't take into account all the variables: sex can be defined through chromosomes, hormones, and both external and internal genitals.

After a performance by Monique Brumby (video below), we marched to Parliament, signs aloft: the serious (‘Marriage Equality is a Priority’) and the scandalous (‘I love vagina, but Tony’s too much of a c*nt even for me.’) When we reached Parliament, a collective illegal marriage ceremony was conducted on the grass, each set of vows the couple’s own. “Say what you want,” the conductor said ruefully. “It’s not legal anyway.”

Despite the absurdity of having to protest this injustice, the rally had a sense of optimism, I felt. With 72% of Australians in favour of equal marriage, and plans for two bills on their way, Australia seems to be reaching a turning point. I can only hope change happens swiftly. Equal marriage is just one rung on the ladder to dismantling our societies’ shared homophobia and heteronormativity. Both Australia and Scotland are climbing – slowly.

Disclaimer: word count approximate.

Ever since deciding to study at St Andrews, home of The Other Guys, I’ve wanted to do a capella – but, for some reason, it’s never made it to my weekly schedule. Until now. I can now call myself a member of Ring of Choir.

Ring of Choir were going to be called Student Union Voices, but it sounded too much like the socialist political campaigners who stand outside the library. The campaigners are just as loud as us, but have a slightly different focus.

Sunday was the University of Melbourne Open Day, and we spent our morning flashmobbing campus, lining the echoing stone pillars of the Old Quad and greeting prospective students with Vance Joy’s Riptide. If you don’t know it, here it is. Obviously our version is far superior, but it’s the kind of spiritual experience a video wouldn’t do justice to, even if I had a recording.

Here, neds are called bogans.

Barbecues are shockingly common. To the point where it’s not a special enough occasion to buy hot dog or burger rolls. A burger, two slices of white bread, and Bob’s your uncle.

Tim Tams are Australia’s answer to Penguins. I’m not being snooty, they actually are.