#TheyGetToVote: Hashtag uncovers LGBTQ stories of bullying and abuse
Australians have just received something truly important in their mailboxes. It's a government-facilitated, non-binding, no-compulsory survey asking one question: “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?"
Australians will have until Nov. 7 to mail it back to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Campaigning has been fierce on both sides of the debate, with an estimated 30,000 people marching through Sydney's CBD on Sept. 10 for the "Yes" vote.
On Thursday, a new hashtag was launched for the "Yes" campaign by Australian comedian and Please Like Me writer Josh Thomas, and spotted by Pedestrian.
#TheyGetToVote encourages members of the LGBTQI+ community to voice their own experiences with abuse, bullying, violence and discrimination, pointing out likely "No" voters.
Fair warning, some of these tweets are pretty disturbing.
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Thomas stemmed the new hashtag from his own story:
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People soon responded with their own stories:
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The tweets will undoubtedly continue until all postal votes are submitted, after which the survey results will be announced on Nov. 15. Then, the legality of same-sex marriage will be voted upon in federal parliament.
[h/t Pedestrian]
Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.
