The aftermath of marriage equality in Australia: Religious freedom and LGBTQ+ non-discrimination

Since the introduction of same-sex marriage in Australia, some faith-based organisations have attempted to secure a “right to discriminate” on grounds of religious belief. Drawing on public debate and qualitative interview data, we analyse how this reactive movement has affected employees of religious organisations in one Australian state and assess the extent to which marriage equality has contributed to social equality. First, we outline the background leading up to marriage equality in Australia, detailing the push for religious freedom protections. Second, we describe the data collection methods. Third, we discuss the experiences of the interviewees according to five themes. We conclude that the call to protect religious freedom is a product of “the law of small change” in relation to LGBTQ+ equality, and that the long march to a more inclusive society – especially for this collective’s most vulnerable members – is not yet over.