Let's talk about marriage equality in Australia, and the "It's Up to Us" Kickstarter that's making an effort to do something about it.

When I was a young girl (yes, this is one of those stories), I was a staunch feminist. I mean, I am still a staunch feminist, but young me was very strict regarding the kind of Grown-up Lady she was going to become. At the ripe old age of 10, I had already decided that I wasn't going to get married. It was an outdated institution, I told anyone who would listen.

I'm now a happily engaged Grown-up Lady planning a wedding. A real wedding. With a white dress and my father walking me down the aisle and stuff.

Don't worry, the feminist in me is still very much alive and kicking (anyone who asks why I'm keeping my surname in the head). Sure, I've come to terms with marriage, and decided that the symbolism of joining my life with my partner's is more important than objecting to patriarchal crap that I can easily write out of the vows and the ceremony.

But here's the thing. As a straight lady marrying a straight man in Australia, I am able to make this decision based on my political beliefs; it's a privilege born from my feminist ancestors. I have freedom to marry the man I choose, and take or keep a name, or come up with a whole new name, if that's what I decide. As a straight woman, all I have to do is flash my marriage certificate and they'll change my surname in a blink. I don't have to sacrifice my identity, my past, or my politics. Hell, if I was still a feminist-against-marriage I could choose to stay unmarried and have almost the same rights as a married couple, because Australian law allows me to. It's really that easy for me to choose how I love the man I love.

It's not so easy for same-sex couples.

While I love the freedom modern laws allow me when it comes to changing my name, I didn't realize that I was taking this choice for granted just a little. If I had been born gay, fallen in love with a woman, and wanted to marry this woman, the laws in my country say that I cannot. They say that I can have a civil partnership, and that this civil partnership is pretty much the same thing.

Except... it's not.

There are many inequalities when you compare Australian marriage and civil partnership laws. But the one glaringly obvious one, for me anyway, is how difficult it is to change your name after a civil partnership.

As modern women, we're used to having the choice. But gay women and gay men are not allowed that choice. In Australia, if you are a woman who unites with another woman in a civil partnership, and then chooses to take your partner's surname, you have to give up every bit of paper work that shows your past identity.

Think about it. You hand over your license, your passport, and your birth certificate. You give up who you are and who you have been in order to share a surname with your beloved. And if both of you decide to adopt a new surname? Both of you have to go through this process.

It's not fair, and the state of Australian politics at the moment means that it may be a long time until it is fair in my country.

The latest survey tells us that 72% of Australians support marriage equality; this is the highest that support has ever been in our country. Unfortunately, this is not a view shared by our government.

The feminist me - who is so freaking grateful to the feminists who fought for the rights she now enjoys - has had enough. I have rights because of those who came before me, and it's up to us to fight for marriage equality for those who are here now, and those who come after us.

There's a great post here on Offbeat Bride about incorporating your support for marriage equality into your wedding, which gave me the inspiration to incorporate something into my own. My fiancé and I will be having butterflies on sticks for our guests to hold up at our ceremony (inspired by the audience at Jim Henson's funeral), and I've decided to add rainbow ribbon sticks as well, with the following message:

We believe that everyone should have the right to marry, regardless of gender or orientation. If you support marriage equality like we do, please take a ribbon stick and hold it high!

I'll also be continuing to lend my support, professionally and personally, to marriage equality, because us Australians have to keep telling our government that we want same sex couples to have the right to marry, and we want it soon.

Wanna join me?

Then join the "It's Up to Us" Kickstarter!

Unfortunately, in Australia, there are a group of people that, despite loving each other very much, aren't able to marry. This is all because they have the same boy bits, or girl bits... And that just doesn't make any sense.

The "It's Up to Us" project will photograph 52 Australian same-sex couples who desperately want to marry, then will go on to produce a gorgeous limited edition run of postcards.

The postcards and imagery will focus on the normality of a same sex relationship, will be positively framed, and eminently relatable.

Once a week for 52 weeks, the postcards, and equally importantly, the stories, hopes, and dreams of these 52 couples, will be sent to all 150 members of the House of Representatives and all 76 members of the Australian Senate. And of course shared with our Kickstarter friends.

The postcards will presume that, like our progressive neighbour New Zealand, the Australian Government will soon recognise and legalise same sex marriage right here in Australia, and the postcards will assumptively thank them for it.

Here are more ways to get involved:

The It's Up to Us kickstarter ends on August 9th, 2014. So please consider donating ASAP.