An equality barbecue held in response to the same-sex marriage postal survey has brought a Raymond Terrace neighbourhood a little closer together.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Chris Baguley invited 250 neighbours to join him, his fiance Scott Dunn and their two children to a barbecue on Friday in an attempt to show them that their survey response affects “real people and people who are a part of their community”.
About 25 to 30 people turned out to the barbecue, but Mr Baguley was not disappointed.
“I'm ecstatic anybody showed up,” he said. “For anyone to show up at a strangers house is special.”
Mr Baguley said he had a number of neighbours he had not met before, or those he passed by and waved to, join them at their home on Friday.
Alan and Joy Spence were among the neighbours whom he had not met before. The Spence's took along their same-sex marriage postal surveys and ticked yes infront of Mr Baguley.
Mr Baguley's friend and neighbour Rebecca Barnes turned out in support of the barbecue. Ms Barnes, a gay woman with children, founded the Newcastle and Hunter GLBTQI+ Rainbow Families Facebook group.
It is a closed group for rainbow families – a term used to describe the families of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and intersex people – to meet others in the Newcastle and Hunter area.
It was through the group that Ms Barnes met Mr Baguley and Mr Dunn.
“I didn't know anybody and I thought “surely I'm not the only gay person with kids” in the area,” Ms Barnes said.
“I ended up meeting a few people on Facebook then we met in person and it's gone from there.
“I met Chris and Scott through the group. Then we realised we were around the corner from each other.”
The group now has more than 220 members who hail from towns including Nelson Bay, Maitland, Cessnock, Newcastle and Raymond Terrace.
Mr Baguley said his next plan of action is to encourage the new council to “make a move” and declare where it stands on same-sex marriage as Newcastle City Council Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes did on Monday.