SIMPSON dairy farmer Jason Smith feels validated after the majority of Australians voted in favour of same-sex marriage.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“Our country has stepped up and grown up today,” Mr Smith said.
“I feel like I can breathe again.”
Mr Smith said he the enormity of the result had weighed heavily on him in the past couple of days.
“I was dreading a no vote, however I didn’t take it (a yes vote) as a given,” he said.
The results revealed 61 per cent of Australians voted in favour of same-sex marriage.
Mr Smith said while the result was not as high as he would have liked, more than half of the respondents voted yes.
“No one can now argue that it’s not right,” he said.
“It’s like being validated as a human being.”
The results showed that 61 per cent of respondents in the Wannon electorate voted yes, while 39 per cent voted no.
In the Corangamite electorate 71. 6 per cent of respondents voted yes, while 28.4 per cent voted no.
Josh O’Dowd and Danny Pearson are excited about the vote and plan on getting married next year.
“We’re very excited about the marriage equality going through,” Mr O’Dowd said.
Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell said she was proud the vast majority of residents in western Victoria had spoken in favour of treating everyone, no matter their sexual orientation, with respect and equality.
“I know this campaign has been tough for some people, but please take solace in this result and know the majority in our community and our nation back your right to love who you choose,” she said.