Australia Votes Overwhelmingly Yes For Same Sex Marriage!!

[mike carey]

Imo what ought to be done is like what is done in so many other countries and only recognize civil marriage. Leave religion in the private sphere.

That is something that is being considered here by religious bodies although not by the state. Ministers of religion are automatically entitled to conduct marriages under civil law, and they are already permitted to refuse to marry couples who don't meet their religious requirements. Most churches are happy with this. Some, though, are so discombobulated by same sex marriage that they are talking of withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the Marriage Act. If they do this, marriages that they perform will not be recognised under civil law and the couples will have to have a separate civil marriage. I can't see couples being happy with a church wedding that left them 'not legally married'.

[P Gren]

this...

His emotion reminds me of the speech by the Dallas City Councillor during beginning of 'it gets better.' (They both mentioned a moment of decision of ending it or moving forward.) I'm sorry I don't remember his name though.

[mike carey]

The debate in the House of Representatives is coming to a close, they are voting now on whether to put religious freedom/freedom of speech amendments into the Bill. Several earlier amendments of the same sort were defeated. This final vote was 63-79, so the amendments failed.

[mike carey]

It is done!! The Marriage Amendment Bill was passed with only four votes against it. (House Standing Orders provided that with so few no votes, the yes votes were not counted.) Welcome to he 21st Century.

Edited December 7, 2017 by mike carey

[mike carey]

[Bargara Leatherboy]

I was at work today and watched most of the debate, and finally just before 6pm we got it thru.

 

Oddly enough all of my cars were quiet so I got to hear the last few minutes without interruption, and the celebration that happened. Sat there with a few tears, and now we can move onto where we go from here.

 

Tentative plans for legalize our 24.5 year partnership are in the pipeline.

 

friends have announced their engagement Today, so is very exciting.

 

.

[mike carey]

People in the public gallery of the House of Reps after the vote was taken.

[P Gren]

Sounds like it's official now as of yesterday. Congratulations. Expect a tourist boon

[P Gren]

People in the public gallery of the House of Reps after the vote was taken.

Nice message in that song. I have an inter-commonwealth question for you. I know God Save the Queen was your national anthem until 1984. In Canada there used to be this odd custom of starting public events with O Canada (the anthem) and closing the event with God Save the Queen. (This doesn't happen anymore.) Any role for GStheQ anymore in Australia? (And as a digression to this digression, I always thought our national anthem should be amended from "our home and native land" to "our home ON native land."

[TruthBTold]

Austria, than Australia, I wonder if every "A" country on the planet will go gay marriage.

[+ Gar1eth]

When is equal marriage planned to go into effect, @mike carey and @westernsyd?

 

Gman

[mike carey]

I know God Save the Queen was your national anthem until 1984. Any role for GStheQ anymore in Australia?

It's still the Royal Anthem so it's used in any events involving royalty (not the GG though).

When is equal marriage planned to go into effect, @mike carey and @westernsyd?

The Bill received royal assent in the last few minutes and will come into force at midnight. From then foreign marriages will be recognised here, but the first weddings will only be possible on about 9 Jan as there is a requirement to give 30 days' notice of intention to marry. From tomorrow the words 'marriage is between one man and one woman' will no longer have to be said in the ceremony.

[TruthBTold]

Is it the same thing as in America regarding federal benefits, etc.

[+ Gar1eth]

It's still the Royal Anthem so it's used in any events involving royalty (not the GG though).

 

The Bill received royal assent in the last few minutes and will come into force at midnight. From then foreign marriages will be recognised here, but the first weddings will only be possible on about 9 Jan as there is a requirement to give 30 days' notice of intention to marry. From tomorrow the words 'marriage is between one man and one woman' will no longer have to be said in the ceremony.

 

?GG

 

Gman

[P Gren]

?GG

 

Gman

Governor General - the Queen's official representative in Canada and Australia etc. (its a Commonwealth thing). We have elected Prime Ministers but the official Head of State is still the Queen. It's a ceremonial role.

Edited December 7, 2017 by P Gren

[+ Gar1eth]

Governor General - the Queen's official representative in Canada and Australia etc. (its a Commonwealth thing). We have elected Prime Ministers but the official Head of State is still the Queen. It's a ceremonial role.

 

Thank-you. I’m familiar with the office just not the abbreviation. If I’m not mistaken, Canada has one too.

 

Gman

[P Gren]

Thank-you. I’m familiar with the office just not the abbreviation. If I’m not mistaken, Canada has one too.

 

Gman

Yes, we have one as well. And all of the provinces have a Lieutenant Governor representing the Queen (again a ceremonial role).

[mike carey]

Is it the same thing as in America regarding federal benefits, etc.

No, for most things legal status as a couple is available to both married and unmarried couples. Marriage is automatically evidence of being a couple whereas people in de facto relationships need to provide more evidence. For means tested benefits, which count both partners' income to determine eligibility, any appearance of it being a mutually supportive relationship rather than house-mates makes you part of a couple. And they can be intrusive in investigating. Ironically, when this was introduced a few years ago it was to the disadvantage of same sex couples. Before that they were deemed to be single so unemployment benefits and pensions didn't consider their partner's income and their previous entitlements weren't grandfathered. Tax returns are filed individually with no option for joint filing, so marriage makes no difference.

And all of the provinces have a Lieutenant Governor representing the Queen (again a ceremonial role).

Australian states have a governor who is also the representative of the Queen. The governors' link to the crown is direct, not via the governor general.

[mike carey]

UK in Australia ‏Verified account @ukinaustralia 10h10 hours ago

Today we have raised the rainbow flag over the British High Commission in Canberra to celebrate with Australia in this historic moment The Australian Parliament has voted to change the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry #marriageequality#loveislove #LoveisGREAT

 

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[Bargara Leatherboy]

The law was signed off today by the Governor a general, the Queens representative in Australia.

 

So marriages that were conducted overseas can now be registered, and couples can start the months notice of an intending marriage with celebrants from today.

 

So the first local marriages can take place on Jan 8 ,2018.

[mike carey]

Interesting side point, the Bill was passed four years to the day after the first same-sex weddings in Australia. The Australian Capital Territory legalised them in 2013 and there was a quick flurry of solemnisations, but seven days later the High Court struck down the ACT Act, thus voiding those marriages.

[mike carey]

The Australian Ambassador to France proposes to his partner, perhaps too publicly. Perhaps not!

[mike carey]

Births, Deaths and Marriage registries around Australia (they are state, not Federal offices) amended their web sites with the new forms* and rostered on extra staff on Saturday. It was one of their busier days. Couples hoping to be married in January may end up being frustrated, there may not be enough celebrants available. The ACT will waive its normal fees for couples who were married under its ill-fated marriage laws in 2013. and for those in civil partnerships. Kim Davis was not seen anywhere.

 

*The old forms had two columns for the people to by married, the first one for the groom and the second for the bride. The new ones have two columns (no polygamy here) both of which have check boxes for groom, bride or partner. So, subversively, opposite sex couples no longer have to list the groom first.

[TruthBTold]

If a couple is married in a church (no doubt some liberal Protestant church) does it also have to be solemnized in a public registry or do people just register the wedding? Just to notify the state that it happened.

[mike carey]

If a couple is married in a church (no doubt some liberal Protestant church) does it also have to be solemnized in a public registry or do people just register the wedding? Just to notify the state that it happened.

Ministers of religion are automatically accredited as celebrants, so after the church ceremony they go into the vestry and sign the state paperwork. Churches are exempt from having to perform same sex marriages although some of them, the Uniting Church for example, are considering doing so. There are probably churches who have already decided to do so, it just hasn't been discussed anywhere I've seen.