Australian prime minister rushes gay marriage into law
CANBERRA, Australia intention to marry, making annual Gay and Lesbian
(AP) — Australia’s prime gay weddings legal on Mardi Gras, which is also minister rushed gay marriage Jan. 9, Turnbull said. in his electorate. into law on Friday Turnbull described Parliament Hours after the Parliament by gaining a final signature voting late Thursday legalized gay marriage, on a bill hours after for gay marriage, with a Sydney municipal it was overwhelming only four lawmakers registering council offered free endorsed by Parliament their opposition venues to host same-sex and as the nation started to, as a historic moment. marriages. planning weddings that “Containing my emotions The Inner West Council can take place in a month. to a suitable, prime is accepting bookings for
Prime Minister Malcolm ministerial level of calm same-sex marriages in its Turnbull traveled is quite challenging. I halls, community centers to Government House am absolutely pumped. I and parks at no charge where Governor-General think this is so wonderful,” over a 100-day period Peter Cosgrove signed he said after Parliament from Jan. 7. the bill into law on behalf passed the bill and “This is an historic day of Queen Elizabeth II, the public gallery erupted in the struggle for civil Australia’s constitutional with a standing ovation. rights in Australia,” Mayor head of state. Cosgrove’s Celebrations continued Darcy Byrne said. signature makes gay late into the night in It follows the downtown marriage legal in Australia Oxford Street, the center Sydney municipality’s decision from Saturday, when of Sydney’s gay nightlife in October to offer same-sex couples who which is in Turnbull’s free venues for same-sex wed overseas will be recognized electorate. weddings should they become under Australian Turnbull has been a lawful. law as marri ed couples. long-term advocate f or The Australian Capital G R A N D
Engaged couples will marriage equality and is Territory government, need to give a calen- the first prime minister to which administers Canberra,
PRE dar-month notice of an attend Sydney’s renowned the national capital,
www.rrkia.com www.rrkia.com www.rrkia.com www.rrkia.com introduced its own same-sex marriage law in 2013 that was overturned by the High Court within a week.
ACT Attorney General Gordon Ramsay said his government would waive the $41 cost of wedding certificate for any of the 31 same-sex couples whose short-lived marriages were ruled invalid and want to marry again.
“It’s a way of being able to acknowledge the difficulties that some of those couples have been through,” Ramsay told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Anne-Marie Delahunt, who married www.rrkia.com www.rrkia.com her partner Meg Clark in Canberra in 2013, said she would take up the government’s offer when they marry again in February.
“I think it was a touching measure from the ACT Government to say that our second marriage certificate will be free,” Delahunt told ABC. www.rrkia.com