Gay Marriage Makes Progress in UK; Australia Next in Line?
After a display of clashing views between conservatives and equalists in what was still a very British discussion, the Parliament has voted to legalize gay marriage.
The overwhelming 400 to 175 vote in favor of the bill is the first step for UK towards progress, reports News.com Now there is prediction that the bill will be strongly supported by Liberal Democrats and Labor, enough to pass the House of Commons during the examination.
The passing was also partly made possible by a conscience vote made by Prime Minister David Cameron, who, despite his absence in the debate, had expressed his concern for the need to promote marriage equality.
"I am a strong believer in marriage it helps people commit to each other and I think it is right that gay people should be able to get married to," he said in a statement reported by Fox News. "This is, yes, about equality. But it is also about making our society stronger."
Inspired by the bill's passing in the UK, The Age reports that Australian gay marriage activists are now gearing up to speak their minds so a similar action will happen in their country.
"Given the close family ties that many Australians have in the UK, I think it's a sad reality that many same-sex couples will marry under UK law instead of waiting for reform here," said Rodney Croome, a national convener for the Australian Marriage Equality, to The Age.
In Australia, the bill does not enjoy the same enthusiasm or interest, as it had already been voted down by the Australian Senate late last year, with a final vote by the Labor Senators 26-41 against the bill, reports ABC.
In 2012, Communities and Social Inclusion minister Ian Hunter became the first in Australia to be legally married to his partner of twenty years, in Granada Spain.
According to ABC, "Spain is leading the world by its changes to its laws and Australia is still having the debate and I could have stayed in Adelaide, Australia and wait for changes but I didn't want to. I wanted to come to Spain and get married now," said Hunter.