Sir Elton John has voiced support for gay marriage to be legalised in Australia, as the government prepares to undertake a postal survey to gauge the level of public support for a change in the law.

The legendary singer-songwriter, 70, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram on Thursday (September 20th) of a picture of himself with husband David Furnish tying the knot a few years back. He wrote that, for him and David, “being able to openly love and commit to one another, and for that to be recognised and celebrated is what makes life truly worth living”.

He said that recognition “makes us want to be as kind, responsible and productive members of society, as well as the best parents, that we can be. I love Australia. I love its spirit, its lack of pretence, its passion. I hope it can embrace the honesty and courage that seeks gay marriage as an expression not of desire but of love.”

A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn) on

Polls indicate that the survey is very evenly split, with just over half of Australians indicating support for gay marriage but with the ‘no’ vote gaining ground, with the latter campaign out-spending the ‘yes’ vote by five times.

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Australians have until November 7th to indicate their support via the voluntary survey, and if a majority indicates support, the Australian parliament will debate and vote on the issue.

Elton John David FurnishSir Elton and husband David Furnish were married in December 2014

In his message, Sir Elton also made reference to his 1984 marriage to Renate Bluel, which took place in Sydney’s St. Mark’s church.

“I wanted more than anything to be a good husband, but I denied who I really was, which caused my wife sadness, and caused me huge guilt and regret,” he continued. “To be worthy of someone’s love, you have to be brave enough and clear eyed enough to be honest with yourself and your partner.”

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