Elderly gay couple together 48yrs want marriage before they die - Australia

This is the couple Warren Entsch spoke of yesterday when he mentioned the couple together for 48 years who want to get married before they die. John and Arthur want their relationship to have the same status, dignity, and standing as Tony Abbott's relationship with his wife.

They also don't expect that there will be marriage equality with Abbott's faith based notions.

Mr Challis believes the law reform cannot pass until Prime Minister Tony Abbott first abandons his faith-based opposition to marriage equality for same-sex couples. 

"I'm sure our relationship is just as devoted as his is and why [should] we be looked at in any different way?" 

When Coalition MP Warren Entsch presented his bill to legalise same-sex marriage into Federal Parliament, he offered John Challis and Arthur Cheeseman as examples of ordinary, same-sex Australians who want the law to change. 

The bill was co-sponsored by six MPs from across the political divide. 

Mr Entsch said it was about promoting an inclusive nation, not a divided one. 

"A divided nation is what we will be if we continue to allow discrimination", Mr Entsch said. 

Mr Challis agrees. 

"What we feel is that recognising gay marriage would simply crown the whole process of gay rights and give gay people exactly the same status and dignity in society as heterosexual people," he said. 

For now, he can only dream about what that day would be like. 

"We will simply go down the registry office very quietly with a couple of very close friends. 

"It's just a legal function as far as I'm concerned to get that legal status, so that our relationship has exactly the same status, exactly the same dignity, exactly the same standing as Tony Abbott's relationship with his wife. 

"I mean I'm not interested in any sort of great marriage celebration and all the rest. 

"We might just have a few drinks with our friends or something like that - if it ever happens. 

"But the way things are going, I doubt if it will happen in my lifetime." more  

Heartbreaking. But what would Abbott care? What would the Lieberals care? The devout christians they are. No, growth and jobs are the priority right? Not these tow people who want their human right of marriage to be recognised in their own country before they die.