Australian Senate follows second chamber in defeating equal marriage
A vote on a bill that would have introduced equal marriage rights for same-sex couples has been defeated in the Australian Senate. With the House of Representatives rejecting Labor MP Stephen Jones’...
View ArticleAustralia: Defeat for equal marriage bill in Tasmania
Tasmania’s same-sex marriage bill has failed to pass the Legislative Council after a key member indicated he would vote against it. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, equal marriage advocates in...
View ArticleAustralia: Speaker Peter Slipper quits amid sex scandal
Australia’s parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper has resigned after text messages showed he had used sexist and vulgar language in an exchange with a gay former staffer, who is suing him for sexual...
View ArticleSydney to host gay rugby cup in 2014
Sydney has won its bid to host the 2014 Bingham Cup, the world’s top gay rugby tournament, held every two years. It will run for one week in August 2014, with up to 40 teams and 1,500 players expected...
View ArticleAustralian campaigners hope new law can help in equal marriage fight
Marriage equality advocates in Australia have welcomed a new draft national anti-discrimination law. It aims to protect gay Australians from unfair treatment in employment and services. Campaigners...
View ArticleAustralia to keep anti-gay discrimination to protect ‘freedom’ of religious...
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reportedly given her word to religious groups that they will have the “freedom” under a new rights bill, to discriminate against gay people, and other people...
View ArticleCampaigners urge Australia to ‘catch up’ on same-sex marriage and follow...
An equality organisation in Australia has urged the country’s federal government to follow the lead of the UK Government in legalising same-sex marriages. Sarah Cummings, founder of Engage Celebrants...
View ArticleAustralia: Anti-gay politician attempts to defend pro-marriage equality...
A homophobic Australian politician, who founded his own party, has stepped in to stop it from ejecting one of its senate candidates for supporting equal marriage. Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) has...
View ArticleAustralia: Religious groups could lose exemption from anti-discrimination law
Religious organisations in Australia could lose exemptions to anti-discrimination laws, under recommendations from an inquiry which suggested that the ruling Labor Party’s proposed legal changes needed...
View ArticleAustralia: Liberal leader Tony Abbott rules out supporting equal marriage
Australia’s opposition leader Tony Abbott says he will continue to side against equal marriage. He told Sky News Australia: “Coalition party policy is that marriage is between a man and a woman.” Mr...
View ArticleAustralian PM refuses to support equal marriage despite New Zealand victory
Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, says she won’t be dropping her opposition to marriage equality, even though neighbouring New Zealand passed the measure on Wednesday. Asked by a member of the...
View ArticleOpenly gay Australian MP: I doubt an equal marriage bill would currently pass...
An openly gay MP in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has said that she is not convinced that an equal marriage bill would currently be able to pass in the state’s parliament. Responding to the news...
View ArticleAustralia: Liberal leader Tony Abbott shifts position on party’s same-sex...
Australia’s opposition leader is suggesting his party will decide its position on equal marriage after the next election. Liberal leader Tony Abbott has prevented his MPs from having a conscience vote...
View ArticleAustralia: MP calls for election day referendum on equal marriage
An independent Australian MP has proposed that the issue of equal marriage be put to voters in a referendum, as soon as this September, in a move supported by the Green Party. Tony Windsor is set to...
View ArticleComment: To Australia’s Prime Minister: Follow the lead of your homeland...
Murray Lipp, an Australian citizen living in NYC and administrator of the Facebook page ‘Gay Marriage USA’, discusses Australia’s slow progress towards marriage equality and the role of the nation’s...
View ArticleAustralia: Liberal leader Tony Abbott says no to equal marriage referendum at...
Australia’s opposition leader Tony Abbott, has said he does not agree with MP Tony Windsor, who proposed that the issue of equal marriage be put to a vote by Australians on election day in September....
View ArticleAustralian Prime Minister Julia Gillard: It’s ‘absurd’ to think my...
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has criticised a radio host for asking if her partner, Tim Mathieson, is gay during a live interview. Ms Gillard, a staunch opponent of marriage rights for...
View ArticleAustralia: Radio host sacked for asking Prime Minister Julia Gillard if her...
A radio presenter who asked Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a live interview if her partner is gay has been sacked. Howard Sattler, of Perth-based 6PR, suggested to Ms Gillard on Thursday...
View ArticleAustralian Senator Cory Bernardi: ‘I was right to warn that equal marriage...
An Australian senator, who resigned from the opposition’s frontbench after he said that allowing same-sex couples to marry could lead to sanctioning polygamy and even bestiality, says his original...
View ArticleAustralia’s first lesbian cabinet minister elected Senate leader
Penny Wong has been elected unopposed as leader of the Australian Senate. It makes her the third most powerful politician in Australia after the prime minister and deputy PM. On 13 September 2010, she...
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