On August 13^th, 2014, it was exactly ten years since the Howard Government’s ban on same-sex marriage was passed (with the assistance of the then Labor Opposition) in the Australian Senate.

To mark the occasion, in the ten weeks leading up to that anniversary, I counted down the ten things which I hate the most about marriage inequality. Click on the heading to read more about the one(s) you are interested in, and let me know what you think:

#10: Because it makes me embarrassed to be Australian

#9: Because sometimes I feel guilty for having #firstworldproblems

#8: Because it gives our opponents a platform for their bigotry

#7: Because sometimes it overshadows other important LGBTI issues

#6: Because it lets our MPs off the hook

Then Prime Minister John Howard first introduced the ban on marriage equality in August 2004. While he has long since departed the political stage, his legacy of homophobia and discrimination lives on.

#5: Because there’s no intellectual stimulation in arguing against our opponents

#4: Because Julia Gillard let me – and the LGBTI community – down

#3: Because it makes attending weddings a bittersweet experience

#2: Because we’ve been waiting so damn long

And

The #1 Thing I Hate About Marriage Inequality: Because I can’t marry the man I love

PS If you enjoyed this series of posts, please consider sharing it with others. Thanks, Alastair