Australia has officially legalised same-sex marriage
There were emotional scenes in parliament after the bill was passed on Thursday (December 7).
By Will Stroude
Equal marriage has officially been legalised in Australia.
Australia’s parliament passed a bill on Thursday (December 7) to legalise same-sex marriage following the results of a national postal survey last month which saw 61% of the population vote for same-sex marriage.
The Marriage Amendment Bill 2017 was passed without amendments after hours of speeches and debates and only four members of Parliament voted against the legislation, the BBC reports.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had committed to passing the bill before Christmas and said: “This is Australia: fair, diverse, loving and filled with respect.
“For every one of us this is a great day.”
There were emotional scenes in parliament following the vote. As cheers erupted, spectators in the public gallery began singing popular anthem ‘I Am Australian,’ as some lawmakers below were reduced to tears.
Reports state that the law will most likely take effect in a month after royal assent and the first same-sex weddings are expected to take place in early 2018.
Watch the historic moment equal marriage was passed in Australia below: