There’s still away to go.
The number of people who have marriage in their country has now topped 1.1 billion people, but that’s just 15 percent of the total population of the world. Indeed there are over 70 countries in which homosexuality is still illegal.
A new analysis undertaken by Melbourne-based LGBT rights activist, Tony Pitman, has revealed that just over 1.1 billion people now live in countries with marriage equality. This figure represents 15 percent of the entire world population and is expected to rise over coming months as Taiwan and several other countries join the list.
“I first started doing these calculations in mid-2013,” said Tony. “Back then, the number was 600 million. Today’s it’s 1.1 billion. That’s an increase of half a billion people in just four years. Never before has the world seen a positive social change of such speed and magnitude. It’s extraordinary! And it’s definitely something to keep in mind during the current debate here in Australia.”
Australia is in the middle of a two-month postal survey on whether to introduce marriage equality or not, a process that’s been marred by a series of overwrought scare campaigns from the “No” side.
Optimistic for change
However, despite the ugliness of the debate, Tony is optimistic. “I think these numbers give heart to everyone who’s concerned about achieving equality in Australia,” he commented. “They show that the debate here is part of an unstoppable movement that’s sweeping the world. There’s no doubt that marriage equality is inevitable in Australia. It’s just a question of when, not if.”
“It’s clear that a win for the “No” vote would only serve to delay equality by a couple of years at the most,” added Tony. “All those hundreds of millions of dollars will have been spent just to buy a little more time for an unjust law. It’s an obscene waste of time, money and resources.”
“The truth is that when a same-sex couple gets married, their happiness is increased, and no one else is affected in any way. It’s a simple reform that brings only positive outcomes. That’s the reason why it’s spreading around the world so rapidly. It’s a win for everyone. And it will eventually be a win for Australia too.”
