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I'm Dain Clarkin
and I support marriage equality
because I believe it will help save lives
In New Zealand
and across the world we have
a very high suicide rate
amongst LGBT students and youth
and I believe that this bill will help
reduce this rate
or will be one of the many things we'll need to do
to help reduce this rate
we will have New Zealand society
telling these students and youth
that they do matter, that they are loved
that they are accepted
and that they're normal
and that they shouldn't take their lives
When I was sixteen I came out to my parents
thankfully they were very accepting
they're very awesome parents
and they said that all that matters to them
is that I'm happy
I don't know if they
realise how much I appreciate that
which is quite cool
however unfortunately
several months prior
when I was about fifteen
I came out to my best friend at the time
and he was
less than accepting
of who I was
and that sent me into
that was a very unpleasant time for me
I had suicidal thoughts
yeah, I don't wish that upon anyone
I think
had we had the debate we're having now
about marriage equality
and had gay couples
been able to marry each other
that would have helped me at the time
because then I would have seen myself
as normal, as
accepted by society
rather than trying to clutch on to
what people thought of me
particularly my friends
and try and
see myself as normal in their eyes
so I hope that with this debate
and with this bill passing
LGBT youth
who are potentially suicidal now
or who are unsure or insecure
will be able to look at at this and say
I am loved
I am of value
there's no need for me to take my own life
because I am equal in this society
and I think this is
what marriage equality is all about
equality
we are telling
all citizens in this country
everyone, that they are equal
regardless of who they love
and I think that's a very big thing
where I am now
I am a residential advisor
at a first year university hostel
so I work with first year university students
having a fantastic time doing that
and I love working with youth
it would be great to see
everyone accept everyone
and for everyone to know that they are valued
that they are loved
and that they should keep on living
you know, it does get better
it really does get better
to those MPs who did vote
in favour of the marriage equality bill
I just want to thank you
from the bottom of my heart
it meant a great deal
to see you guys
standing up and voting for it
and also
see your speeches in favour of it
because it felt like you were
endorsing me
as I was
the very fundamental
part of me
and
it was just fantastic
it was really uplifting
to see you guys
you know, I hadn't met
I hadn't met you guys
and here you guys were
standing up for me
and that was fantastic
so thank you
words can't really describe
the appreciation
I and many others
have for you guys
To the undecided MPs
please, please, please look at this
issue with an open mind
it's not
it's not religion versus equality
you can have both
it's not religious freedom
versus civil liberties here
you can have both
we aren't going to
start discriminating against religious people
on the basis of this bill, you know
they still have their rights
and what we're doing here is granting equal rights
to another portion of the country
without taking away
from anyone else
this is a no-brainer
so please just approach this with an open mind
see the flow down effects
that may happen from this
including I hope
a reduction
in the youth suicide
rate, even though
I know that
marriage equality won't suddenly stop
youth suicide overnight
I believe it will help in the future
as everyone can just see
that they are equal
and that they are loved