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March 2, 2013
Australian state inquiry into marriage equality breaks submissions record

The number of submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into same-sex marriage in the Australian state of New South Wales has broken all previous records, with over 7,500 people taking part

Over 7,500 submissions were made into a New South Wales (NSW) state parliament inquiry into the possibility of legalizing same-sex marriage under state law while the Australian Government refuses to move on the issue.

The number of submissions made was the most ever received by a parliamentary inquiry and was more than three times bigger than the previous record holder.

Australian advocates for marriage equality welcomed the overwhelming support for marriage equality demonstrated by the number of submissions.

February 22, 2013
Gay marriage ban is not sex discrimination, Australian judge rules

Federal court judge Jayne Jagot rules same-sex marriage ban is lawful as both sexes are treated equally

A judge ruled yesterday that the ban on same-sex marriage in Australia does not constitute sex discrimination.

Gay rights activist Simon Margan brought a legal challenge against the Australian government and the states of Queensland and New South Wales for not allowing same-sex marriage. 

December 1, 2012
Australian state launches plan to cut HIV by 60 percent

The Australian state of New South Wales believes it can slash new HIV infections by almost two thirds in just three years and hopes to do even better by 2020

Australia’s most populous state has unveiled an ambitious new HIV strategy aimed at reducing new transmissions of the virus among gay men by two thirds in three years.

The New South Wales state Health Minister Jillian Skinner made the announcement to a room full of LGBT health and community groups on World AIDS Day.

August 24, 2012
Christian group says debate on marriage equality ‘a waste of time’

The Australian Christian Lobby have accused parliamentary supporters of same-sex marriage of wasting their colleagues time, with four different bills to legalize same-sex marriage currently before parliament

A private members bill to legalize same-sex marriage which has been tabled by Australian Government senators has been labelled ‘farcical’ and a waste of time by the far-right anti-gay Australian Christian Lobby.

Labor Senators Louise Pratt, Gavin Marshall, Carol Brown and Trish Crossin introduced the private members bill yesterday.

A Greens party bill on the issue was already before the Senate so the move by Government senators may be an attempt to claim ownership of the issue if the issue has enough support to pass through the parliament.

August 23, 2012
Another Australian jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage

Another Australian jurisdiction has announced it will legalize same-sex marriage if the  government refuses to act

Another Australian jurisdiction has announced it will legalize same-sex marriage, while at a federal level, Australian Government senators have introduced their own private members bill to legalize same sex marriage.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which houses the Australian capital of Canberra, today announced it would legalize same-sex marriage at a territory level, joining the states of South Australia and Tasmania who have also pledged to do so.

July 29, 2012
Australia urged to do more on AIDS

Australia's largest LGBT community health organization says the country risks falling behind in its HIV response unless it adopts new technologies and approaches

Australia’s largest LGBT community health organization has warned that Australia’s once world leading approach to HIV prevention is slipping behind that of other countries

July 14, 2012
Australian boys to receive Genital Warts vaccine

In a world first, Australian boys will receive a vaccine against a virus that causes oral, anal and penile cancers in gay men

In a world first, the Australian Government will begin vaccinating boys against strains of the Human Papilomavirus (HPV) that are known to cause cervical cancer in women and oral, penile and anal cancers in men.

Australian schoolgirls have been receiving the Gardasil HPV vaccine since 2007 but the drug was not being subsidised for boys, meaning that a course of the drug was costing parents who wished to immunise their sons many hundreds of dollars.

May 11, 2012
Australian government funds LGBT website for Indonesia

Project of Love aims to build a supportive online community

A dedicated website for gay people in Indonesia funded by the Australian government was launched this week.

Project of Love, proyekcinta.com, was launched at a party in Bali on Wednesday night. It covers health - including information about HIV prevention and an online ‘Ask the Doctor’ facility - blogs about gay life as well as entertainment reviews and events.

March 15, 2012
Australian government funds LGBT awareness in Vietnam

Government contribute $100,000 to an LGBT rights awareness project

The Australian government is funding a project to raise awareness about LGBT rights in Vietnam.

February 7, 2012
Gay film festival hopes to screen sex movies

The Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney, Australia, has applied to screen movies featuring real sex acts

Sydney's Mardi Gras Film Festival may be able to screen gay sex movies if an exemption from classification laws is granted.

Organisers of the gay movie event, which opens on 16 February, have applied to the Australian government's film classification board, asking permission to show films which contain real sex acts.

February 4, 2012
Australia to ban tanning salons

Commercial tanning salons throughout NSW are to be banned by late 2014

According to the Australian government, commercial tanning salons throughout the state of New South Wales are to be banned by late 2014.

Used across the world, in particular among the gay community, tanning salons are categorised as a grade one carcinogen by the International Agency for Research in Cancer.

Both the NSW Greens and opposition want the ban to take effect immediately. Greens MP John Kaye stated 'in the three-year period before the government's proposed bans takes effect, 54 people will die in NSW'.

February 3, 2012
'Gay marriage reduces drug and alcohol abuse'

Experts are calling on the Australian government to legalize gay marriage because of its health benefits

Legalizing gay marriage will reduce drug and alcohol abuse in the LGBT community, say experts in Australia.

In a newly released paper, researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales cite studies which shows a direct link between marriage equality and reduced alcohol and drug consumption.

January 7, 2012
LGBTI activist calls for stronger stance

Australian LGBTI activist calls for government to take a stronger stance on international discrimination 

Australian LGBTI activist, Simon Margan, has called for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Labor government to take a stronger stance on international discrimination issues.

After the release of the United Nations report that showed high levels of violence against LGBTI people worldwide, Margan urged the Australian government to take notice of regional problems.