Marriage Equality and Resurgent Prejudice in Australia

On 7 December 2017, the Australian federal Parliament passed the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, thereby extending the right of all Australians to marry irrespective of sex or gender. In so doing, Australia was the last major English-speaking country to enact marriage equality. This book considers the origins and arc of the struggle to bring about a totemic reform sought by queer activists and their allies in the early twenty-first century. Based on interviews with around 30 members of the rainbow community in the major regional city of Newcastle and its hinterland in the state of New South Wales, it showcases their views - both in relation to debates surrounding marriage equality and the subsequent backlash in the years following passage of the legislation. Using the conceptual tools of 'resurgent prejudice' and 'reactionary collective action', the authors assess what has been gained from this landmark change, the costs along the way and why marriage equality does not represent the end of the struggle for rainbow equality.