It’s done! Same-sex marriage is now 100% legal in Australia

Australia’s parliament broke out in euphoric celebrations as Australia finally legalized same-sex marriage.

After a 13 year battle and a hurtful postal survey on the issue, marriage equality is now completely legal in Australia.

The House of Representative in the Australian Parliament has just voted in favour of passing a law that would allow same-sex couples to marry.

The Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 was voted xx to xx in favor of legalizing marriage equality.

Today’s vote in parliament came after an unprecedented, non-binding postal survey which asked eligible Australian voters if they agreed the law should be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry. It was revealed on 15 November that Australians voted 61.6% in favor of changing the law.

The Bill was first introduced in Australian Senate where it was passed after a long debate and passed to the Lower House.

Since Monday, 118 Members of Parliament gave speeches in the House, debating their point of view on the Bill. The Bill was debated for almost 30 hours in the Lower House.

But on Wednesday morning, long-time marriage equality supporter Warren Entsch introduced the second reading of the Bill.

The Lower House went on to debate proposed amendments to the marriage equality Bill.

All of the proposed amendments to the Bill, from each end of the political spectrum were voted down.

Some of the voted down amendments included; increased religious freedoms, allowing parents to remove their children from classes at school if it was teaching them about same-sex marriage and allowing wedding celebrants to refuse to officiate on same-sex marriages.

What comes next?

The Bill will be put forward to the Governor-General Peter Cosgrove for Royal Assent, which could happen at anytime up to 10 days from now.

Australian same-sex couples could start getting married a month from when Royal Assent happens. Australian law requires couples to give one month notice of an intention to marry.

But the marriages of same-sex couples who wedded overseas instantly became legal and officially recognized in Australia once the marriage equality Bill passed.

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