Lisa Saffery was shaking when she heard the news; Australia had voted “yes”.
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For the mother-of-three, the result of the same-sex marriage postal survey was a “two-sided coin” and a long time coming.
Ms Saffery’s late partner, Sarah, had died before she could wed the love of her life.
The Wagga woman said she hoped somewhere, Sarah was watching.
“As an Aboriginal woman, she wanted to see same-sex marriage legalised in her home country,” Ms Saffery said. “She had to watch privileged, predominantly white males make decisions,”
After a gruelling few months of lobbying – “bringing out the best and worst in people” – Ms Saffery said she hoped the survey’s result was a step in the right direction.
“This is what Australia wants,” she said. “This is our life, our partners, our security.”
She said she had grave concerns for how politicians would manage the decision from Wednesday.
“(The survey) dehumanised people,” she said. “I think it’s very unjust … someone else somehow has the right to an opinion on something that is a right.”
Ms Saffery said the process had rocked her to the core at times, but she feared for those – especially children – who were still vulnerable.