Gay couples say ‘I do’ Down Under
First weddings occur month after legalization
CANBERRA, Australia — Samesex couples married in midnight ceremonies across Australia on Tuesday after the country’s last legal impediment to gay marriage expired.
Marriage equality became law on Dec. 9 with overwhelming support in Parliament, but Australia’s requirement that all couples give a month’s notice for weddings made Tuesday the first possible date for gay marriages.
Athletes Craig Burns and Luke Sullivan married at a midnight ceremony near the east coast city of Tweed Heads.
“It’s another way to show your love and appreciation of your partner in front of the people in your life,” said Burns, a 29-year-old sprinter.
In Newcastle, north of Sydney, Rebecca Hickson, 32, married her partner of nine years, Sarah Turnbull, 34.
Hickson said the couple wanted to be part of history by becoming one of the first lesbian couples to marry in Australia.
Lainey Carmichael, 51, and Roz Kitschke, 46, married shortly after dawn at their home in the island state of Tasmania.
The early ceremony was mainly to avoid the summer heat, Kitschke said.
Wedding guest Rodney Croome, a spokesperson for Tasmanians United for Marriage Equality, said: “This morning’s wedding marked the start of a new chapter in the lives of the two brides but also a new chapter in the life of the nation.”
“Today we are a more equal and inclusive country that treats all loving, committed couples the same,” Croome said in a statement.
The Australian Parliament overwhelming voted for same-sex marriage after a nationwide postal survey found that 62 percent of respondents wanted marriage equality.
The one-month waiting period was waived for some couples who wed in recent weeks. Those exceptional circumstances included a partner’s terminal illness and overseas-based relatives booking flights to Australia before the official start date for the new law was known.
Australia and Ireland are the only countries that have put the question of legalizing gay marriage to a popular vote.
Ireland held a legally binding referendum in 2015 to change its constitution. The referendum found 62 percent of respondents wanted marriage equality.