The overwhelming majority of LGBTI Australians oppose a plebiscite on marriage equality and most would prefer to wait for a free parliamentary vote to avoid a plebiscite, a new survey shows.



The survey of 5,463 LGBTI Australians found 85% opposed the plebiscite, with most opposed to the plebiscite even if the question were “fairly framed and has a good chance of success” (62.6%).

The survey was funded by Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays Australia, endorsed by a new LGBTI advocacy group, Just Equal, and designed by a social scientist, Sharon Dane.

The results are likely to exacerbate division over the plebiscite, after Pflag’s national spokeswoman, Shelley Argent, called for delay of a free vote to avoid a plebiscite.

The survey recorded that when asked if the government refused a free vote on same-sex marriage in parliament, 57.8% said they would wait until marriage equality could be voted on in parliament rather than hold a plebiscite first, compared with 29.7% who wanted the plebiscite and 12.5% who were undecided.

When asked to assume the plebiscite would be “worded fairly and had a good chance of returning a positive vote for marriage equality, despite a negative campaign by those opposed”, 62.6% favoured waiting for a free vote, compared with 28.8% who wanted a plebiscite.

Feedback from participants showed that the two most common reasons people opposed a plebiscite were anxiety over hate campaigns and the strong belief that minority rights should never be put to a popular vote.

Australian Marriage Equality has called for a free vote in parliament but has begun preparations for a “yes” case if a plebiscite is held, which prompted criticism from Argent that it was not doing enough to campaign for a free vote.

The yes case has developed a campaign vehicle called Australians 4 Equality, which has quietly gathered support from community groups and businesses, and has hired staff and an office in Sydney to prepare for the campaign.

Argent said: “The survey confirms that groups like Pflag and Just Equal are doing the right thing by actively working to stop a plebiscite and secure a free vote, especially given the very good chance a plebiscite will be set up to fail.”

Argent called for LGBTI rights groups “to unite behind what that community has clearly said it wants”.

The AME co-chair, Alex Greenwich, has defended its tactics for achieving marriage equality by saying it would be irresponsible not to prepare for a possible plebiscite, a course it chose after consultation.

The national director of AME and veteran gay rights activist, Rodney Croome, said: “The LGBTI community understands a plebiscite will delay marriage equality, not expedite it, and will damage the lives of vulnerable LGBTI people, not improve them.”



He described the “plebiscite or nothing” approach of the Turnbull government as a false choice.

Croome declared in a social media post on Wednesday that he believed “it will be easier to achieve a cross-party free vote, or encourage Liberals to the cross the floor, than it will be to conduct a plebiscite fairly and have a ‘yes’ vote implemented quickly”.

Respondents were gathered by a professional survey company, Content First, including through social media advertisements, community media, religious groups, sporting clubs, business networks, parenting groups and social clubs.

The results follow a Galaxy poll in July which found 48% of Australians back a marriage equality plebiscite, casting doubt over the government’s claim the “overwhelming majority” of Australians back the idea.