It’s been a long time coming, and Australians have had to endure a very frustrating (and highly unnecessary) plebiscite in which they could say whether or not LGBTQ Australians deserved the same rights as everyone else. Now, Australia has made history by becoming the latest country to legalise same-sex marriage.
As The Herald Sun reports, just after 6pm this evening, MPs made the decision to decline a series of last-minute amendments to the legislation, with the long-awaited decision being announced soon after. News of the legislation’s passing was met with cheers, tears, applause, and a rousing rendition of the national anthem by those in attendance.
In case you’re keeping score at home, the final vote was 154 in favour of the legislation, and 4 against it, a far higher percentage than the 62% that the infamous plebiscite returned.
As Sky News reports, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull greeted the news by simply stating “Australia has done it”.
“Every Australian had their say and they said it is fair, get on with it,” Mr Turnbull said. “And the Parliament has got on with it and we have voted today for a quality, for love, it is time for more marriages, more commitment, more love, more respect, and we respect every Australian who was voted, those who voted yes, and those who voted no, this belongs to us all.”
So what’s next? Well, now the legislation has to be sent to Governor-General Peter Cosgrove for royal assent, but according to a number of media outlets, that could be as soon as the end of the week.
Whatever the case, this has been a long time coming for all Australians, and we can only urge that you don’t party too hard tonight as you celebrate this news.
