‘I honour all LGBTI people, in particular my late son Binni’: Labor MP Linda Burney

Labor MP Linda Burney made a tear-filled speech to parliament yesterday during the marriage bill debate, saying she wants to honour all LGBTI people, including her late son Binni.

In her powerful address, Burney said she wanted to explain her longstanding support for marriage equality, The Sydney Morning Herald has reported.

“I have never had a second thought. It seemed to be so obvious,” she said.

“I support marriage equality as someone who has and has had loved ones who identify as LGBTI. To them, marriage equality would mean so much.”

Voice breaking, she added, “I honour these people. In particular, my late son, Binni.”

Binni Kirkbright-Burney had been found dead at the family home in late October.

Burney stated at the time that he had struggled with addiction and with mental health issues, describing him as a “caring and loving man”.

Burney said that she also supported marriage equality as an Aboriginal woman, “as someone who is a member of a community that has experienced great discrimination and injustice”.

She said that people in marginalised communities understood “what it means to be rejected, to understand what intergenerational trauma feels like and what hurt and distress it does to you”.

Debate over the marriage bill is continuing in the House of Representatives, with the bill looking likely to pass this week without amendments.