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<\/a><\/p>\nTwo Australian<\/a> men<\/a> in a long-term relationship and opposed to same-sex marriage<\/a> deny that they are homophobic.<\/span><\/p>\n Ben Rogers and Mark Poidevin, who met 15 years ago, say that they are committed to \u201ctraditional marriage,\u201d concerned that \u201cif we make one exception for one community\u2026where does it stop?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Poidevin said:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been through our ups and downs like anyone else, but I love him dearly and there\u2019s no-one else I\u2019d like to spend my life with than him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI used to be a supporter of same-sex<\/a> marriage. I mean, I proposed to Ben five years ago. At the time Ben said it wasn\u2019t for him, that he didn\u2019t believe in it, and I said, \u2018When the laws change, would you like to?’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rogers said that he refused Poidevin\u2019s proposal because \u201cIt\u2019s not something I had ever envisioned.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Poidevin, a committed Catholic, has changed his stance on same-sex<\/a> marriage since he proposed to Ben five years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n ABC Australia<\/b><\/a> reports:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf we make one exception for one community, that being the same-sex<\/a> couples<\/a>, where does it stop?\u201d Mark said.<\/span><\/p>\n Both are happy to express their views, but say their honesty has come at a cost.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe campaign\u2019s gotten nasty on both sides and I think the comments that I hear are, \u2018You\u2019re a homophobe if you don\u2019t support gay<\/a> marriage,’\u201d Mark said.\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m a gay<\/a> person here that\u2019s coming out and saying, \u2018well, no it\u2019s not. It\u2019s your right to have a view, your right to have a view either way and people should be respected\u2019.\u00a0<\/span>You\u2019re not intolerant if you don\u2019t support a view.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rogers added: \u201cIf it\u2019s yes, we\u2019ll be like, \u2018Congratulations, everyone can get married. But we personally will not be getting married.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe stand by our commitment to each other,\u201d he said, \u201cwe don\u2019t need marriage in our lives, definitely not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Watch ABC Australia\u2019s report:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n (Image via ABC<\/a>)<\/p>\n The post Meet the Gay Australian Couple Speaking Out Against Same-Sex Marriage<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\nRELATED: Pro-LGBT Group Fires Back at Nasty Australian Marriage Equality Ad: VIDEO<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n