Marie Claire Australia — June 2017

marieclaire.com.au 19

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PETER BREW-BEVAN; GEORGES ANTONI; SIMON UPTON; AAP. NICKY’S HAIR BY BRAD MULLINS; MAKE-UP BY LIZ JONES

Model Gemma

Ward, pictured with

her daughter Naia,

three, and son Jet,

three months.

Cover girl

Jessica

Marais is

a strong

supporter of

marriage

equality.

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elaxing on a flight a few months back, I indulged

in my favourite pastime: the long-haul movie

marathon. Of all the films I binge-watched, one

stayed with me. Loving is the true story of a mixed-

race couple in 1958 who fled their home state of Virginia, where

interracial unions were illegal, to marry in Washington. When

they returned home, both were jailed and forced to either leave

Virginia forever or never see each other again. After years of bat-

tling the law, their case eventually made it to the Supreme Court

and the rest, as they say, is history. Yet Richard and Mildred

Loving weren’t ardent civil rights activists trying to make a point;

they were just two people in love who wanted to do what others

were allowed to – live as a married couple in their hometown.

Fifty years after this landmark case, it seems unthinkable that

mixed-race marriage was once illegal, but watching this poignant

film reminded me that this exact discrimination exists in

Australia today. Same-sex couples are still fighting to be legally

recognised and it angers me – along with everyone on the maga-

zine – that this basic human right isn’t open to all Australians.

Here at marie claire we’ve been passionately pushing for

marriage equality since 2012 when we launched our “I Do” cam-

paign. Back then, over 170,000 of you signed our petition and

thousands turned up to our two rallies. Fast-forward five years

and we’re still having the same conversation. It’s embarrassing,

unprogressive and unjust, and nearly 75 per cent of Australians

agree, according to online polls. So, we believe the time is now!

This month we’ve enlisted the support of 15 prominent Australi-

ans to continue to champion for change. From model Gemma

Ward who wanted her kids to be involved (see top left) to designer

Jayson Brunsdon who’s desperate to “marry the man I love in the

country I love”, I’ve been deeply inspired by those who came for-

ward to be part of our rainbow-inspired reportage on page 36. As

part of this story, we’re also supporting global juggernaut Airbnb,

which has created an incomplete ring to symbolise the gap in

marriage equality. Engraved with the words “Until We All Belong”,

the purpose of the Acceptance Ring is to empower change, start

conversations and work as an ongoing reminder of the current

unjust situation. All the celebrities in our story, and every marie

claire staffer, will wear it with pride; turn to page 48 to find out

how you, too, can pledge your support and receive this free ring.

Let’s hope future generations will view the suppression

of gay marriage the same way we do now in regards to the

banning of interracial love – with

incredulity and contempt.

“It would

be very hard

for me if one

of my kids

wasn’t able to

marry the

person that

they love”

2012

Thousands

protested for the

“I Do” rally in

Sydney and

Melbourne.

Right: our July

2012 marriage

equality issue with

Rachael Taylor.

NICKY

LOVES

FREE Airbnb

Acceptance Ring,

untilweallbelong.com

(postage $3.50)

EDITOR’S NOTE