A FATHER speaking about his gay son inspired a standing ovation at the weekend's ALP state conference.
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Peter Moore, of Burnie, spoke about his youngest son, Robbie, to lend support to a motion for marriage equality.
Mr Moore, 67, said two years ago he would never had stood up to speak in support of the motion.
"I grew up on the North-West Coast. I have a wife and four children ...and six years ago my youngest son came and said: `I'm gay', and you could have knocked me over with a feather.
"I love him and nothing changed that, but I wasn't expecting to hear that."
Mr Moore said since then his son had met a man and fallen in love - and he wanted them to have the right to marry.
"I have a dream that we won't be here (in future) saying `gays' and `straights', but that at the next state conference we'll just be saying `human beings'."
His words inspired most delegates to a standing ovation, and many to pat Mr Moore on the back.
In 20 years as a Labor member, Mr Moore said that speech was the longest he had made at a conference.
"I was so nervous. I couldn't have done it (given that speech) two years ago, but now I couldn't have not done it - for my son."
Tasmanian Young Labor president Stuart Benson moved the motion that called for every couple to have the legal right to marry, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
"Either all human beings have the same rights, or none of us have any," he said.
Tasmanian Labor Senator Carol Brown seconded the motion, saying it was time to overturn "mean- spirited aspects" of the marriage act.
"Same-sex couples have the right to have sex together and the right to live together, so why on earth don't they have the right to marry?"
Barry Robinson said he supported the union of homosexual couples but not a change to the definition of marriage.
"If it's been right for 2000, 10,000 or 40,000 years for marriage to be between a man and a woman, shouldn't it still be right?"
Tasmanian Labor Senator Helen Polley also spoke against it, saying she was insulted to have been accused of being homophobic.
"I don't believe the majority of Australians, if it was put to a referendum, would want to see the definition of marriage changed," she said.
The motion was passed and is set to be debated at the national ALP conference in December.
