Sheesh, for all the talk about about the Liberals "respecting" a yes vote, I ask, would you respect a no vote?
Be honest, even if it means your answer makes you a hypocrite.
I would respect a no vote if there was a proper reason given for it.
The only legit reason I can see for voting no is "I believe being gay is wrong and don't want to see gay people acknowledged as being equal".
This is of course in my mind a completely awful opinion, but if people feel this way because of their religion or upbringing or just general ignorance then I can at least understand it and hope they change their mind over time.
Stating that "the marriage act can't be changed?" That is demonstrably wrong. It has been changed many times over the years.
Stating that "somebody somewhere that I will never meet said something that hurt my feelings so I am voting no" is just absurd and being dishonest.
Stating that "Equality is just a fad, lol liberals" is just being an internet warrior. Nobody needs to respect that lunacy if you are just being contrarian to earn interweb level up points.
Stating that it is "a free speech issue" is not understanding what free speech is. You need to stop reading American reddit posts and realise that everyone in Australia can and will say whatever they want at any time, and we don't even have freedom of speech. After the marriage law changes (again), you will still be free to say whatever you want, and everyone will still be free to consider you a nob for saying it.
Saying that it is "against religious freedom" is ignoring the fact that historically marriage has had little to do with religion. You might instead mean "My church says being gay is wrong so if all of society is saying otherwise my religion starts to look strange and hmm, people will start to leave my religion and then my religion will start to look like a bit of a joke but I can't change religions now because nobody will take me seriously so damn this is all too hard I think I need to vote no just to help preserve my religion" then yes, this makes sense as an argument. You might then question why you need to fight with laws to preserve a religion under the false name of "freedom". The truth is, you will still be free to explore your religion after the law is changed. Luckily religions too are quite fluid in what is and isn't permissible, so they will likely adapt.
So by all means state your good reason for voting no if you have one. I doubt that you do. Ok maybe if you are in a right leaning party politician and have to appeal to religious fundamentalists and hard line right wingers so you can stop people defecting to minor parties and cling onto power... that is also apparently a good reason.
If that doesn't convince you, with any social issue like this, I have a simple test. If you have a daughter who is gay and tells you that she wants to be married to her partner with your blessing, do you look her in the eye and say:
"yes, I love and support you"
Or
"No, I think it is wrong and I'm going to stop that from happening".
If you answer the first way, obviously vote yes.
If you can honestly answer it would be the second one, vote no. But I would think long and hard about what sort of person you are and the reasons you would say that to your own child. Would you say "no" just because you are angry you lost at PUBG and felt better when you trolled with some other guys on a right wing facebook page? Maybe that isn't a real reason. Alternatively is what you are told in your religion more important than what your child in front of you needs? That is a personal question to answer, but again gets back to being honest about why you have a problem with gay people. Remember as well with this option you are not just stating your opinion, you are literally stopping the marriage from happening. You might say "well I would tell sorry because it is my religion and she would understand." She might, but in the real world she would still get married anyway. What you are doing with a no vote is going way beyond that.
If you can't answer that question, don't vote until you know the answer. If you vote no and answer this question on behalf of everyone else, you are not only doing the wrong thing, but doing it in the most cowardly way possible.
I have two daughters, I would look both in the eye without hesitation, tell them that I love and support them ... and then probably worry about how I was going to help pay for the wedding. I know they would do the same for their kids when the time comes. I'm proud of that.