Surprise! Ireland’s Marriage Equality Referendum Harmed LGBTQI People

A survey has found advertising held during Ireland's 2015 marriage equality referendum caused the country's LGBTQI community a significant amount of distress. Despite now knowing the outcome of the campaign would be positive, over a third of respondents said they wouldn't be prepared to undergo a referendum campaign again.

The study, titled Swimming with Sharks, was co-authored by Australian researchers from the University of Queensland and Victoria University. It was partially funded by LGBTQI activist groups who have expressed concern about Australia's upcoming marriage equality plebiscite, which is to be held in February 2017, if the government gets its way.

Surveying 1,657 participants, the study found 75.5 percent either often or always felt angry when they were exposed to campaign messages from the "no" campaign prior to the referendum being held. Eighty percent also felt upset by the "no" campaign materials, and two-thirds felt anxious or distressed.

Younger LGBTQI people suffered the most, feeling more anxious and afraid than their older counterparts. Only 30.5 percent of respondents said they'd be prepared to go through the whole thing again, even if the outcome was guaranteed in their favour.

One of the study's authors, Sharon Dane, told the Guardian that the negative effects of Ireland's referendum campaign in some ways outweighed the benefits of its outcome. "The quantitative data from this survey strongly suggest that the feelings of negativity during the referendum no campaign were widespread," she said.

The campaign had been "more than a fleeting experience or something that could be simply undone through a win for marriage equality," she said.

These results will come of no surprise to anyone—not even Attorney General George Brandis, who has acknowledged the potentially negative effects of a plebiscite campaign but insists the government will stay committed to the policy.

"Now I understand that most members of the gay community don't like the plebiscite, I get that, but that's the policy the government took to the election," he said in an interview with Sky News, published on the Attorney General's website, last week.

"That's what we committed to doing. If we were to abandon the plebiscite it would be breaking an election promise… We're not going to break an election promise."

The fate of the Coalition's plebiscite is nonetheless uncertain. A Galaxy poll has found that only 38 percent of voters are in favour of a public vote on marriage equality, and the Labor caucus is yet to decide if it will block the plebiscite bill in parliament. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is expected to make his recommendation on Tuesday.

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