There’s nothing like a personal moment shared in a submission to an inquiry to melt the ice of a hesitant Senator, writes Corey Irlam.

It’s 1am and I’m still working on a draft submission for the Senate inquiry into the various reforms that will help give same-sex couples legal equality. “This is crazy,” I think to myself. I have to be up at 6am. There have already been 15 inquiries into same-sex couples and the law over the past 10 years.

But these reforms are personal. They’re important to me, my friends and our respective partners (or future partners). Relationship equality in the eyes of the law is important to all loving couples and this current round of reform is one of the biggest we’ve ever seen at a federal level.

Ever since the Australian Coalition for Equality called for the community to write to the Senate inquiry by July 25, everyone’s been asking – “Do we really need to write another bloody submission? Will it really matter?” The short answer is ‘yes’. Personal stories matter. And here are a few reasons why:

Senators don’t read reports, but they see the human impact.

Save but a few, many Senators won’t have read the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission’s report into same-sex financial and workplace entitlements. But they will listen to individuals who share their personal stories. Senators are humans too and there is nothing like a personal moment shared to melt the ice of a hesitant Senator.

Legislative terms aren’t just words, they’re words that reflect the way society thinks and acts.

Some people have argued with me that it doesn’t matter if same-sex couples are recognised as ‘interdependents’ or ‘defactos’. To them I say, if your brother is recognised in law as being in a loving, sexual relationship with his girlfriend, but you and your same-sex partner are seen as “companions”, isn’t that discrimination? Isn’t it creating two classes of love?

Different definitions create different classes of citizens.

‘Marital Relationship’ by the very definition of the Marriage Act excludes same-sex couples, as does ‘husband’ or ‘wife’. To keep these words in Federal law, apart from the Marriage Act, and then write in a different definition for ‘partner’ or ‘couple relationship’ to cover everyone else, creates two classes of loving, caring citizens in committed relationships. In the name of equity and respect for all loving relationships, it is important for same-sex partners to make it clear they don’t want to be seen as second class citizens.

The good news is you don’t need to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to help. The Australian Coalition for Equality has done the work for you by preparing a sample submission on our website. All you need to do is download the word document, add in your name and address, along with a paragraph about your personal story and email it to the Senate inquiry. It’ll only take you five minutes and every story will make the world of difference!

We only have one week left until submissions are closed! Go to www.coalitionforequality.org.au and download the sample submission today.

Corey Irlam is spokesperson for the Australian Coalition for Equality.