BAD ASS

11-Year-Old Pens Letter To Australian Prime Minister, Calls Him “So Pathetic” For Blocking Marriage Equality

“My name is Orlando Burcham, I am 11 years old and I would like to know why you don’t allow ‘gay marriage’ in Australia,” the letter reads.

The 11-year-old Newcastle boy (pictured) wrote to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has been blocking marriage equality in the land down under, demanding the 56-year-old politician explain his homophobic behavior, Australian website Same Same reports.

“Because the majority of Australians are happily married, so why are you stopping all the gay men/women to be married in this beautiful country?” the letter continues. “My mother is gay and even worse your own sister is gay! And thousands more are as well.”

“It is so pathetic that you aren’t letting the gay people of Australia and other countries get married here,” Burcham scolds. “Millions of people in the world and when they come to Australia and think ‘wow this place is great! Let’s get married here!’ And then they remember that they can’t. So they spend thousands of dollars to go somewhere they can get married. My mum is married but she had to go to New York, which took a lot of money.”

He concludes the letter by reminding Abbott:

“You were elected to represent our country, not yourself. Just because you think it’s wrong, does not give you the right to make it illegal. Doesn’t our opinions matter to you? Just because you’re the Prime Minister, which by the way does not give you all the power.”

“I hope you change your mind.”

Much to Burcham’s surprise, Abbott responded to the 11-year-old’s letter. Here is his evasive, half-assed response:

Dear Orlando,

Thank you for letting me know your views about same sex marriage.

I appreciate the deep feelings that many in the community have on either side of the issue.

The Government supports the current definition of marriage contained in the Marriage Act 1961. Any change to this policy would be a matter for the Coalition Party Room.

My personal opinion is to support the existing definition of marriage.

Though we disagree on this issue, I respect the views you have put forward.

Ongoing dialogue between government and citizens keeps our democracy strong.

Thank you again for writing to me.

But Orlando wasn’t impressed. He says he’s “disappointed” in the Prime Minister’s message.

Australian Marriage Equality shared Orlando’s letter on its official Facebook page. The post has received over 880 “likes” and over 230 “shares.”

“I’m so proud of my boy,” Orlando’s Mom wrote in the comment feed. “He’s got such a beautiful heart for justice. He sat and wrote this one night after hearing a news report. the only hint was ‘mum, how do you spell beautiful?’ then ‘how do you spell pathetic?’”

We think we speak for everybody when we say: Well done, Orlando!

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