However, unlike most teenagers, Eddie has become a public face of a human rights campaign for equality, his two mothers by his side.

On Tuesday, with the support of his parents Neroli Dickson and Claire Blewett, Eddie will be returning to Canberra, where a year ago he protested the idea of a same-sex marriage plebiscite with LGBTQI family support group Rainbow Families.

One year on, the family is supporting the “Yes” campaign ahead of the Prime Minister’s latest approach to the issue, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ non-compulsory Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

While last week the high court found the postal vote legal, Eddie said the process is an illegitimate way of dealing with the issue.

“I don’t think it’s very legitimate, in that people who don’t know us will be judging us,” he said.

“I get they want people to have a say, but they were elected to do their job, so they should argue about it and get a decision in Parliament.”

Ms Blewett said people have told her they are scared to publicly share their openness to same-sex marriage under fear of retribution.

“When you start connecting with people about it, good people have said ‘yes we’re behind you’ , but not openly because it may affect their business,’ she said.

Ms Blewett said a change to marriage law would create a chain reaction of greater acceptance of Australians who identify as LGBTQI.

“It will just take the pressure off it all. We want it [the issue] to go away this time, we want it to be done and dusted. The fact we are up for discussion is a really odd thing, it’s personal to us,” she said.

The family feels the prolonged national debate over the issue has led to discrimination across the country, and bullying that saw Eddie move high schools to avoid constant negative attention.

Meeting the family on the lawns of Parliament House will be Labor leader Bill Shorten, deputy leader Tanya Plibersek and Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly.

Eddie said he is hoping to also meet Malcolm Turnbull after making contact with the PM recently, but he is still awaiting a reply.

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