The colour and excitement of celebrations in New York at the weekend have been shown on TVs and in newspapers worldwide.  People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and even religions danced in the streets of the Big Apple, overjoyed with the decision of the New York Senate to pass a law allowing same-sex marriage.

The momentum for true equality is being realised.  New York state became the sixth in America to change its marriage law, joining countries including Canada, Sweden, Argentina, and even Catholic Spain.  Australia, however, remains absent from the love list - but this can change, and I, like most other Australians, believe it will.

The momentum and support for marriage equality is intensifying here because Aussie families, mums and dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents and friends tire of seeing their loved ones treated as second-class citizens simply because they happen to be gay or lesbian and in love with someone of the same gender.

Mums and dads desperately want their sons and daughters to be able to celebrate their love with their partners the way other couples can. Brothers and sisters want their siblings to have the same rights as them. Friends want their mates to be given every opportunity to make their relationships as official as they feel inclined. After all, it should be up to the happy couple how they want to celebrate and show their love and commitment to each other.

These Australians are tiring of the unjustified and outdated objections that people, including our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, have to same-sex marriage. The frayed arguments that cultural, historical and religious views should dictate the way we treat law-abiding, hard-working, committed Australians simply because of their sexuality just doesn't cut it any more.  If we honestly believe in equality then that has to include equality under the law to marry.

What about the nay-sayers? Those opposing equal marriage do so passionately, using the same arguments that were waged to justify the old views that said black people couldn't marry white, indigenous people couldn't be citizens in their own country and that women couldn't possibly have their bank accounts, let alone vote.  This is the strength of the argument mounted by the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. But it's an out-dated and weak position that has been successfully challenged time and again because their arguments are founded on inherent discrimination - nothing more and nothing less.

A recent poll showed 75 per cent of us believe marriage equality in Australia was inevitable, and that included those who oppose the idea.  I agree it is inevitable, but not because of political leadership, but rather because everyday Australians generally believe in giving everyone a fair go.

The general attitude towards gay marriage, particularly of generations X and Y, seems to be "Who cares if they're gay? If they are happy and love each other and want to get married, good on 'em."

And as the baby boomers struggle with the idea their adult children are not treated equally, they too are disillusioned with the staunch, yet weakly argued, opposition of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.

It is time for Australia to join the celebrations in New York, to give all Australians the same rights as everyone else to marry the person they love, regardless of their sexuality. I currently have a bill before the Senate to amend the Marriage Act and to allow same-sex couples the right to marry. Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott should grant their MPs a right to a conscience vote on the Greens' bill.  They can vote no if they choose, but let's give individual members of parliament the right to weigh up the arguments for themselves.

Oh, and as an aside, regardless of the fact true love is priceless, the New York state treasury estimates the new laws will boost the state's economy by more than $184 million. Now that's some stimulus package.

First published in The National Times on June 28, 2011