GLAAD has launched the #5DaysOfEquality. Join thousands of people around the world wishing a happy anniversary to 31 Australian couples who were married one year ago, but had their marriages revoked.
According to Mashable, who broke the story:
On December 7, 2013, a bill went into effect that was passed by the Australian Capital Territory making it the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex marriage. However, five days later, the Federal Government challenged the decision, saying it was inconsistent with national laws, and the legislation was overturned in Australia's High Court, rendering the 31 couples' unions invalid.
Ivan Hinton married his partner of 11 years, Chris Teoh, in December 2013. In tears, he told the media at the time: "In less than a week we've been married and we've been unmarried, at least on a legal level ... [but] we're still married. I've made commitments to Chris to spend the rest of my life with him."
The touching video asks the world to send anniversary messages to the couples in the same situation as Chris and Ivan using the hashtag #5daysofequality. These will be delivered, along with snail-mail cards, to a meeting place in Canberra where the couples have been invited to read the messages of love and support.
"Equality starts with personal stories," said GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. "For the 31 couples in Australia whose marriages were robbed from them, we want them to know that there are many people across the globe who recognize and celebrate their love and commitment. By sharing their stories, we can show people around the world the importance of marriage protections for all loving couples."
For the one-year anniversary of these couples, it's time to remind them that we recognize their marriages and celebrate their anniversary. It's easy! Just post a message of love and support to the couples on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vine, using the hashtag #5DaysOfEquality.
GLAAD posted the following video, outlining the campaign.
What happens next?
In honor of the couple's paper anniversaries, thousands of the most moving messages will be transcribed into letter-pressed cards and sent to the couples. Smudge Ink has kindly created custom cards and donated them in support of #5DaysofEquality.
#5DaysOfEquality is a part of the GLAAD Global Voices program, which aims to build support for LGBT equality across the globe by sharing culture-changing stories of LGBT people and families in American and international media.