A Rally for Love - Marriage Equality protest will be held in Bunbury to support same sex marriage in Australia, from 2pm on Saturday at Anzac Park.
Hundreds of people have registered their interest to join the protest which will march down Victoria Street from 3pm and will be followed by a free concert.
The protest is being held to support marriage equality in Australia, after the federal government announced it would spend $122 million on a postal plebiscite.
Forrest MP Nola Marino said the federal government believed every Australian should have their say on this issue.
“We are giving every Australian a say on the matter of same-sex marriage as we committed to do at the last election,” she said.
Spectrum South West, a LGBT group based in Busselton, member Susan Shand said it was a bit embarrassing that a western country such as Australia was so far behind.
“Look at all the countries that have legalised same sex marriage - they still function. They haven’t burnt down, Satan isn’t there now,” one member said.
“If Ireland, which is such a religious country, can accept same sex marriage, what does that say about our tolerance?”
Another member said the plebiscite took the romance out of marriage equality. “I suppose the general consensus is it is a real waste of government money, and a bit unnecessary,” a person said.
Another member said legislation was changed in 2004 under the Howard government without debate. “I would like to point out how easy it was to change to start with,” they said.
“Someone went to parliament and said ‘marriage should be exclusively between a man and a woman,’ with no consultation with the community and the people at all, so why isn’t it as easy to turn it back again?”
Eligible residents have until August 24 to enrol to vote with the Australian Electoral Commission. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will conduct the Marriage Law Postal Survey which will be sent to voters from September 12.
The ABS have recommended that voters return the completed survey to the ABS by 6pm on October 27 and they would not accept surveys received after 6pm on November 7. Survey results will be released on November 15.