Jubilation and tears of joy as Australia becomes the 25th country to recognise same-sex marriage • Australia legalises same-sex marriage – politics liveAustralia’s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry. Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage is only between a man and a woman, now becomes the 25th country to recognise same-sex marriage. Tomlins told Guardian Australia it “has been a massive journey for us and our family” to marriage equality. The attorney general, George Brandis, has declared that marriage equality will be the “imperishable legacy” of Malcolm Turnbull’s Liberal-National Coalition government. In a bruising three-month campaign, opponents of marriage equality claimed same-sex marriage would have far-reaching negative consequences for gender education and claimed it would harm religious freedom and freedom of speech.

Source: The Guardian December 07, 2017 06:59 UTC