Australia, congratulations. The last several decades of LGBTQIA rights have finally bottled down to this: the House of Representatives have voted to pass the same-sex marriage bill. When the Attorney-General ratifies the law, same-sex marriage will finally be legal.
The bill passed with only five MPs dissenting.
The house spent the day voting on amendments to the bill, none of which passed (otherwise it would have gone back to the Senate). It was a long and painful debate – special shout outs to Bob Katter, Tony Abbott and Craig Kelly, who had a lot to say about the amendments – but ultimately they were all shot down.
The bill passed the Senate last week with 43 votes to 12, with Labor Senator Penny Wong reaching to hug Liberal Senator Dean Smith afterwards.
This is by no means the end of the fight for LGBTQIA rights in Australia, but it’s one of the biggest leaps forward we’ve seen in our lifetime.
Congrats to every single person who campaigned, marched, phone banked, voted, and supported their queer families to get us to this point. You bloody did it. Now go celebrate in whatever damn way you please.
