Travelshoot is a proud Australian company. And in our country this month, as a nation we have been asked to vote on marriage equality. Meaning, our position on the right for gay marriage to be recognised as a legal and official union. Like many countries who have faced the same voting process, it can bring out the best and worst in people and politics. However the best part of living in a democratic society is the right to voice your opinion, and the Travelshoot team is proud to openly support the right for gay marriage - we believe love is love no matter who you are.
Not only do we support it, but we have the opportunity to capture it. No matter who you are, families, couples, honeymooners, gay or straight - Travelshoot is about capturing moments of love, fun, and adventure all over the world for everyone.
We have had the pleasure of working with many gay couples and families, just like Jake who was a recent client from Australia who holidayed with his partner Luke in Hawaii and we were fortunate to capture some of their holiday moments on the shoreline of Waikiki. I caught up with Jake to find out more about his experience, and also get his take on what marriage equality means to them.
How long have you been together?
Coming up to 3 years! Time flies.
You celebrated your relationship in a Travelshoot – why do you think couple memories are important to capture?
During our busy lives, sometimes it's hard to stop and truly enjoy each others company. Travelling together, and enjoying a new experience, allows us to do exactly that. It also reminds us how much we love to travel and explore the world, a shared passion of ours. Capturing that special moment of us traveling is so important as it reminds us in our daily lives how much we love each other (and love to travel).
What would you do if you wanted to get married now? Destination wedding or just wait for things to change? And why?
Destination wedding to Hawaii. It's disappointing that Australia is still backwards whilst the rest of the world is embracing same sex marriage. With that said, we're the type to not let anything get in our way so when we want to get married, we will make it happen overseas.
What does this vote mean to you?
Most gay people at some point will feel isolated or discriminated against due to their sexuality. Whether that's in the workplace, socially or in public environments. To have this vote, and recognise that both my partner and I matter to Australian society, somewhat heals those moments. More importantly though, it will also broadcast to younger people that are conflicted with their sexuality, that it's ok to be gay and you have society supporting you.
How will you celebrate marriage equality in Australia?
We won't do anything. Celebrating a law that should have be changed decades ago doesn't make sense. It's already insulting that we're having a vote in the first place and our government is happy to discriminate and waste tax paying dollars. With that said, I'm grateful that as a society we're finally moving forward, hopefully together as one.
And we couldn't have said it better ourselves. No matter who you are, or where you come from, or who you want to capture your own special moments with - Travelshoot has a network of supportive photographers in over 90 cities around the world. #loveislove