A debate over legalising same-sex marriage should not involve personal attacks, Indi MP Cathy McGowan has warned.
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If the federal government can see off a High Court challenge, a postal plebiscite will be run for eight weeks from September 12.
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community had feared they would become victims of a hate campaign.
“We must be our best selves - our conversations need to be about acceptance and building greater knowledge, and should not be personal,” Ms McGowan said.
“My preference was for a free vote, but the postal vote is now the mechanism we must use in order for the Parliament to reflect the widespread views of the community.
“It is no longer about whether or not we should have a plebiscite but about coming together as a community to demonstrate how we can have a difficult discussion and share opposing views in a respectful way.”
The MP confirmed she would vote to support marriage equality.
“Discrimination has no place in Australian law or society, I believe the legal and institutional framework which governs Australia should treat all people equally,” she said.