Julia Gillard, I have a question for you.

Who do you want to listen to? The parents that love and support their children no matter what, that accept them just as they are, and continue to provide loving homes for them? Or the parents that refuse to accept their kids, that tell them they are disgusting and evil, that throw them out on the street?

Who do you want to listen to? The Christians that preach love and acceptance for all, that refuse to judge others, that practice tolerance and love? Or the Christians that preach judgement of those they don’t understand, that say we should remove children from schools and tell them they are disgusting and going to hell, that believe giving equality to others equates to the decline of society as a whole?

Who do you want to listen to? The majority of Australians that believe Australia should be a place where all people are treated equally, that support the rights of all Australians to marry the person they love regardless of gender, that may not always understand those that are different, but can accept them anyway. Or the minority of Australians that believe equality can be distributed to only those that deserve it in their eyes, that believe it is ok to tease, bully, hit, beat, or even kill those that are different from themselves?

Who do you want to listen to? The kids that are struggling with coming to terms with their own identity, that only hear from family, friends and society that they are evil, should be lined up and shot, will go to hell and worse, that sometimes are able to fight through it and come out and fight, but sometimes give in and throw their lives away because they can’t see it ever being different or getting better? Or those kids that tease, bully and feel superior, that believe what their parents and society is telling them, that grow up to be adults that are intolerant of others, or sometimes learn that differences are really ok?

Oh wait… maybe that is part of the problem… maybe those kids that are struggling with their own identities can’t speak up for themselves, they don’t have the support and love to “come out”, they can’t tell you because they sometimes don’t even know themselves.

That’s why people like me and you have to speak for them! That’s why people like me and you have to protect them. That’s why people like me and you have to work to make Australia a better place for them to live.

Julia, won’t you join me to help our kids?