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This Gay Man Confronts His Father Over His Anti-Same Sex Marriage Stance
"Do you think it's fair that you can marry the person you love and I can't?"
It's a generational clash many of us are familiar with: parents can have vastly different, and often more conservative, views on political and social issues than their children.
ABC News Australia set up a debate between 24-year-old Russel, who's openly gay, and his dad Harold, who's against same-sex marriage, and had Russel ask his father: "Do you think it's fair that you can marry the person you love and I can't?"
"Probably not, no," replies Harold. "I think you should be allowed to be with the person you love and be united with that person, but marriage is for a man and a woman."
The father and son go back and forth on the definition of marriage, straight relationships, and even the assimilation of the LGBTQIA community.
"You’ve already labelled yourselves being different anyway, so what’s wrong with your union being different?" asks Harold.
Russel has the perfect comeback. "Being able to marry means I can say, 'Yes, I am married,' and people instantly understand and recognize the weight behind it. That’s why it’s such a hot topic. So many people have so much love and respect for this term, and we want a part of that."
While Harold holds firm with his beliefs, he does want the best for his son and says that if Australia recognized same-sex marriage, so would he.
"We can agree on that I hope to see you happily married, happily joined with somebody else one day," said Harold. "Whether it be a union, and if the government decides it to be marriage, I'll support that too."
The results of Australia's same-sex marriage poll will be announced on November 15.
Watch the video below.
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
