Advocates have welcomed a change of heart on marriage equality from the Queensland MP who championed the repeal of that state’s Civil Union Act.

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Jarrod Bleijie, who is a committed Christian and marriage celebrant, said he is now a supporter of marriage equality after speaking to a same-sex couple and reflecting on the nature of marriage.

Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said,

“Mr Bleijie’s support for marriage equality shows this is an issue that can be supported by people of faith and by social conservatives.”

“I applaud Mr Bleijie for opening his heart to those same-sex partners who want to uphold the values of marriage and share its traditions.”

“With support growing right across the social and religious spectrum it’s becoming harder to see why we need a plebiscite, but if we do have one the outcome is increasingly likely to be ‘yes’.”

In a column in today’s Courier Mail, Mr Bleijie wrote,

“Marriage should be a statement of love and commitment between the happy couple; not an institution that rejects those who wish to enter it with the best intentions.’’

Mr Bleijie said he will support the re-introduction of civil partnerships in Queensland.

Photo By Kurt Löwenstein Educational Center International Team from Germany (qe07 (9)) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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