Please take out your smallest violin and fire that bad boy up for New Zealand’s favourite son, the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who has complained that the marriage equality debate is making him feel less human.

CAN YOU IMAGINE.

Speaking on the ABC this morning, Joyce said he just wants campaigners on both sides to “get out of my face”, as they discuss one of the biggest social reforms in a generation.

poor barnaby's got hurt feelings you guys!!! pls be nice to the lil guy!!! pic.twitter.com/2LqCllfIlI

— mat whitehead (@matwhi) September 10, 2017

Joyce said that while he will be voting No, he won’t be actively campaigning for the No side, and he’d prefer it everyone else just piped down about it too.

“I don’t want people standing at the corner yelling at me, telling me that if I don’t agree with them, then I’m somehow less human than them. Just get out of my face,” he told the ABC.

The comments came a day after opposition leader Bill Shorten spoke at the largest LGBTIQ+ rights rally ever held in Australia, and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launched the NSW Libs and Nats for Yes campaign, in Sydney yesterday.

You Know Who’s Actually Dehumanised By This Campaign?

It ain’t straight, white, deputy prime ministers, let me tell you.

Just this morning, the government’s own mental health commission released a statement saying the current marriage equality debate is harmful to LGBTIQ+ people.

“A number of studies have found that members of LGBTIQ communities are more likely to experience mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts and self-harm than their non LGBTIQ peers, as a result of negative social experiences such as homophobia and bullying,” the statement said.

“Many LGBTIQ people are personally affected by the continuing debate, encountering unacceptable sentiments and behaviour in their workplaces, their communities, and in social and public media. The Commission is concerned about the potential negative health impacts these debates about marriage equality will have on individuals, couples and families as they are exposed to continued scrutiny and judgement.”

If Barnaby is struggling with the rigours of a three-month campaign on someone else’s rights, just try living as an LGBTIQ+ Australian, for whom abuse and intolerance is just part of day-to-day life.

But there is one simple solution to all of this: vote on marriage equality in parliament. They could do it tomorrow.