THEY might be too young to fill out the postal plebiscite, but a group of Kinross Wolaroi School year 10 students did not let that detail stop them from being part of the debate.
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About 80 people braved the five-degree chill to attend a rally in support of the yes vote for same-sex marriage at Robertson Park on Friday afternoon.
It was the brainchild of 15-year-old Molly Harris, with support from Portia Hawke and Greta Ward.
Molly said she started thinking about the issue when there was talk of 16-year-olds taking part in the survey.
“As a 15-year-old, I wouldn’t be able to take part anyway – in having the rally, we’ve accomplished something, we’ve done something,” she said.
“I can’t see why [same-sex couples] are lesser in any way in their relationships.”
Portia’s father and Orange councillor-elect Stephen Nugent said he was proud of his daughter.
“It’s an issue that’s going to affect the society they become adults in and they haven’t let the frustration get them down,” he said.
Fellow councillor elect-Joanne McRae wiped away tears when she was asked what marriage equality meant to her and her partner, Heather.
“All Australians should be treated equally and that means being able to marry the person they love,” she said.
“The challenge is to have those difficult conversations with people with a different point of view.”
Lea Benson said she had raised four children with her partner Cath Meagher.
“I asked her [to marry me] 10 years ago and we’ve been together for 17 and we don’t have the same legal status as our peers,” she said.