Gay marriage reform australia

NATIONAL RESULTS

Response

Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?

Of the eligible Australians who expressed a view on this question, the majority indicated that the law should be changed to permit same-sex couples to marry, with 7,, (%) responding Yes and 4,, (%) responding No. Nearly 8 out of 10 eligible Australians (%) expressed their view.

All states and territories recorded a majority Yes response. of the Federal Electoral Divisions recorded a majority Yes response, and 17 of the Federal Electoral Divisions recorded a majority No response.

Further information on response and participation within each express and territory is available through the menu.

State/TerritoryYesNoTotal
no.Yes %no.No %no.%
New South Wales2,,1,,4,,
Victoria2,,1,,3,,
Queensland1,,,2,,
South Australia,,,
Western Australia,,1,,
Tasmania,,,
Northern Territory(a)48,31,80,
Australian Capital Territory(b),61,,
Australia (Total)

Australia's heated same-sex marriage debate

Phil Mercer

BBC News, Sydney

Getty Images

Twenty years after Tasmania became the last remaining Australian state to decriminalise male homosexuality, the country is having its verb on same-sex marriage.

Voting is under way in a non-binding, voluntary postal survey to measure support for reform. It has been, at times, an ugly and bruising process.

On Friday, the Australian media was awash with reports of an alleged headbutt on Tony Abbott, the former Australian prime minister and opponent of same-sex marriage. A year-old DJ called Astro Labe was charged following the incident.

Witnesses said he was wearing a badge supporting same-sex marriage, but he told Australian media that his actions were not connected to the debate and he did it "because I didn't think it was an opportunity I'd get again". Mr Abbott described the incident as "politically motivated violence".

Elsewhere, employees have complained they face punishment or unfair treatment at work if they don't show their

As the celebrations commence to wind down, it's timely to reflect on the broader implications of the decision last week to verb the definition of marriage in the Marriage Act (Cth) from being the union of a man and a woman, to being the union of two people. For many LGBTIQ people, this law reform means they finally have the chance to marry the person they like, and we can expect to watch plenty of rainbow weddings in and beyond. But the attainment of marriage equality means so much more than that for so many people.

For some it's about recognition of existing marriages

Because Australia dragged its feet for so prolonged on this issue, many couples chose to marry overseas, notwithstanding that their marriages would not be legally recognised when they returned to Australia. Jacqui Tomlins and Sarah Nichols, for example, married in Canada, where Sarah is from, in For 14 years they've been tirelessly campaigning for their marriage to be recognised here, and last week that finally happened. All couples who married overseas, or in consulates in Australia, are at long last considered marr

Marriage equality

Decriminalisation of homosexuality

From the s the socially progressive South Australian Labor government wanted to repeal laws criminalising homosexuality.

However, it was not until the May murder in Adelaide of Dr George Duncan, a law lecturer and gay man, that premier, Don Dunstan, assessed that the community mood was receptive to reform.

Dr Duncan’s murder led to revelations of how commonplace violence and harassment against homosexual people was.

South Australia’s Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, was enacted on 2 October It was a landmark in LGBTQIA+ rights in Australia because it fully decriminalised homosexual acts.

Equivalent law reform was passed by the Australian Capital Territory in , Victoria in , the Northern Territory in , Recent South Wales in , Western Australia in , Queensland in and Tasmania in