His eyes told the story.
Exhausted, bemused, imploring, Warren Entsch stood and explained to a mostly empty parliamentary chamber that after decades of pushing for gay and transgendered rights, often walking out of step with his party colleagues, he was falling into line.
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Liberal MP's emotional journey
Staunch marriage equality advocate Warren Entsch has all but conceded defeat, changing his mind to support the plebiscite, over a free vote.
He was, as he said in a statement earlier in the day, done.
"I can't do any more."
The Leichhardt MP, who started his advocacy journey as a young man, when a fella he knew in regional Queensland, "went to Sydney one Christmas and came back as a woman", announced his support for his government's plebiscite legislation – ruling out crossing the floor to ensure a free vote.
 "It has been a long road to get to this point, and I accept that there are those who are not happy with where we have ended up," he said.
"The plebiscite certainly is not my preferred position either.
"I put up a cross-party bill back in 2015 in good faith, but it joined the other 17 unsuccessful bills that have gone before it.
"The proposal for a plebiscite was taken to [the] 2016 election as a clear Coalition policy, and we won that election.
"This is the best possible chance we have had in a decade, but if the legislation fails, I will be one of millions of Australians who will be profoundly frustrated and disappointed with the Labor Party's hypocrisy," he said.
"Let's not allow this opportunity to be squandered".
To those who admired his position, if not his politics, Entsch's backdown has been seen as a betrayal, someone who has ultimately put his party above his principles.
@lanesainty and I am one of millions of Australians who is profoundly frustrated and disappointed by Warren Entsch's cowardly backdown
— No-one (@pertina1) October 11, 2016
I am profoundly disappointed and frustrated by Warren Entsch. This is appalling. https://t.co/54K2aKAJiV
— Shane Bazzi (@shanebazzi) October 11, 2016
Warren Entsch's stance is among the most depressing aspects of this mess. You're not an ally if you only stand up when it's politically safe
— Jill Stark (@jillastark) October 10, 2016
Who's playing politics with marriage equality now, Warren Entsch? It must be nice to be able to just walk away. https://t.co/25WAOfXYUU
— renne (@rennemiles) October 10, 2016
Entsch is not alone. Just last month, Tim Wilson was overcome with emotion as he spoke of his long-term partner Ryan Bolger and the "question we still cannot ask".
Trent Zimmerman, the first openly gay member of the House of Representatives, used the opportunity of his first speech to push back against those who "peddle prejudice" and announce his support for same-sex marriage.
Neither supports a free vote.
Having fought against the tide for decades in support of LGBTI rights, Entsch must now wage a battle on another front, as those who admired his principles, if not his politics, absorb his final position as a wound.
A parliament of 150 MPs failed to deliver change, but it's the one who offered hope who's been left shouldering the blame.
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