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June 19, 2013
Most in 16 developed nations support gay marriage, poll shows

Ipsos poll finds that 52% of over 12,000 questioned support gay marriage, 60% support gay couples adoption rights and 64% said gay couples are just as likely as straight couples to be good parents

A new poll of adults in 16 developed countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific found that most are in favor of gay marriage (52%) and of gay couples adopting children (60%).

The survey of 12,484 adults by leading research company Ipsos for Reuters found that only 14% objected to gay marriage or any kind of legal recognition for gay couples.

A majority - 60% - said they thought gay couples should be allowed to adopt children and 64% said gay couples are just as likely as straight couples to raise children well.

June 19, 2013
Senator receives 14,000 name petition ahead of same-sex marriage vote

Greens senator Hanson-Young received a 14,000 signature petition today pledging support for her bill to recognize overseas same-sex marriages in Australia, which will be debated tomorrow

A petition of 14,000 signatures of people who support the legal recognition of same-sex marriages performed abroad in Australia was delivered to Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young today.

June 18, 2013
Lords debate calling gay marriage 'unions' and blessing 'sheep' over gay couples

Britain’s House of Lords has been debating the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in detail with opponents suggesting alternatives to full equality

Britain’s House of Lords has been debating whether straight marriages should be renamed as ‘real’ or ‘traditional’ and if gay marriage should be called marriage at all.

Meanwhile the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, has hinted the Church of England should give more recognition to gay and lesbian partnerships – asking why it is the Anglican Church would rather bless a ‘sheep’ or ‘tree’ than a same-sex couple.

June 18, 2013
South Australia move to formally slap New Zealand on the back for marriage equality

South Australian politician will introduce motion to formally congratulate New Zealand for achieving marriage equality in the state's upper house tomorrow

While momentum towards same-sex marriage is stalled in Australia (it is unlikely the issue will be revisited before the general election on 14 September), one state has the opportunity to show its support for marriage equality.

Gerry Kandelaars, Labor Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) in South Australia will introduce a motion tomorrow (Wednesday 19 June) calling for the upper house to formally congratulate New Zealand on achieving marriage equality.

June 6, 2013
Greens Party will move bill to recognize overseas same-sex marriages in Australia

The Australian Greens Party will move a bill which aims to ensure overseas same-sex marriages are recognized in Australia and will be screening an election TV commercial urging supporters of marriage equality to vote for the party

Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has promised to move a bill recognizing overseas same-sex marriages to a vote before the end of the month.

‘The Greens care about all Australians, regardless of their sexuality, and that’s why we will keep standing up for the LGBTI community until we achieve equality,’ Hanson-Young said.

‘Thousands of same-sex couples in Australia are being forced to travel overseas to wed and this government is making them leave their marriage certificates at the customs gate when they return.

May 30, 2013
No marriage equality vote before general election in Australia

The Labor party and the Liberal party block a vote on gay marriage on 6 June, Australian parliament will not look at the issue again before the general election on 14 September

Marriage equality advocates in Australia are 'disappointed' that there will be no vote on marriage equality before the general election on 14 September.

Greens MP Adam Bandt had been pushing for a vote on his same-sex marriage bill next week, but the Labor and Liberal parties did not supporting holding a vote at this time.

A vote on a same-sex marriage bill last September was defeated in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

May 21, 2013
UK MPs vote for gay marriage in third reading

The same-sex marriage bill for England and Wales has passed its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons and will now pass to the Lords for more debate

UK Members of Parliament (MPs) have again backed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales.

It was the third and final reading of the bill in the House of Commons.

In the vote 366 MPs voted for the bill with 161 against, a landslide majority of 205.

The last two days have seen attempts by some Conservative backbench MPs to water down the bill, meaning marriage registrars could opt out of conducting same-sex weddings and teachers wouldn’t have to tell pupils that equal marriage was the law.

Both were rejected.

May 20, 2013
England and Wales gay marriage bill could be delayed up to two years

Tory party in-fighting and an amendment giving straight couples civil partnerships could delay the equal marriage bill until after the next election

Conservative party in-fighting and an amendment giving straight couples civil partnerships could delay the England and Wales equal marriage bill for up to two years.

The bill, which returns to the House of Commons today (20 May), is the subject of fierce debate among members of parliament. It will be voted on after two days of discussion.

Members of parliament, led by Tory Tim Loughton, have tabled an amendment expanding civil partnerships to include heterosexual couples.

May 20, 2013
Poll shows most Britons want gay marriages and straight civil partnership

New YouGov poll shows majority of Britons support same-sex marriages and civil partnerships for straight couples

Most Britons back same-sex marriage legislation with only a third against.

That's the result of a new poll by YouGov.

It indicated ongoing support for the legislation going through the UK Parliament for the change in England and Wales. Separate legislation is being developed in Scotland.

The survey found 54% of Britons support same sex marriage legislation, with 36% opposed. Among Conservatives, more people oppose the measures than support them but the margin is narrow (48% to 45%).

May 18, 2013
Australian Opposition leader under pressure after French marriage vote

Australian Opposition leader Tony Abbott’s electorate office has been picketed by over 100 people calling for him to allow a free vote on marriage equality after France legalized same-sex marriage

Australian supporters of marriage equality have picketed the electorate office of Opposition leader Tony Abbott to mark the signing into law of same-sex marriage by French President Francois Hollande.

Over 120 people gathered today outside Abbott’s Manly electorate office to highlight the fact that Australia is increasingly out of step with its international peers, with same-sex marriage legislation passing in New Zealand last month and France becoming the 14th country to allow same-sex couples.

May 17, 2013
Same-sex couples win adoption rights for partners' children in Portugal

Portuguese parliament votes for partial adoption law for same-sex couples but stops short of full equality

Portugal’s Parliament has voted in favour of limited gay and lesbian adoption.

The new law will allow those in same-sex couples to adopt their partner’s biological or adopted child.

Ruling Social Democratic Party (SDP) supported the bill along with the Socialist Party (SP). It won with 99 votes in favour to 94 against with nine absentees.

Although same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since 2010 the new law will not allow same-sex married couples to adopt a child together.

May 9, 2013
Date set for next debate on gay marriage in England and Wales

Andrew Lansley, the Leader of the House of Commons, has revealed the date for the third reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

The British government have announced the dates for the next step towards legalizing marriage equality in England and Wales.

Andrew Lansley, the Leader of the House of Commons, told members of parliament the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will be debated on 20 and 21 May.

It follows the second reading of the bill, which was approved by a 225 vote majority in February.

April 29, 2013
Northern Ireland narrowly votes against gay marriage

Members of the legislative assembly have voted 53 against, 42 in favor of introducing same-sex marriage

Northern Ireland leaders in the Assembly have narrowly voted against same-sex marriage today (29 April).

Out of the 97 members of the legislative assembly, 42 voted in favor while 53 voted against.

An amendment adding language about protecting religious freedoms in the motion also failed, with 51 voting against and 46 in favor.

The vote followed the Irish Constitution Convention that voted for equal marriage with a 79% majority. 

April 26, 2013
Northern Ireland gay marriage vote ‘vital for economy’

Activists warn a no vote to the marriage equality vote will threaten economy and affect how other countries view Northern Ireland

Gay rights activists are pleading with assembly members to vote for same-sex marriage on Monday (29 April), warning rejecting the motion could threaten the economy.

The motion, tabled by Sinn Fein, will see whether the country will progress on equal marriage.

Last October, assembly members rejected a proposal saying same-sex couples should have the right to marry.

April 18, 2013
Australian Greens to push for recognition of overseas gay marriages

Senator Sarah-Hanson Young says she will introduce bill to recognize overseas same-sex marriages in Australia when parliament reopens on 14 May

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said this morning that she will introduce a bill that will allow international same-sex marriages to be legally recognized in Australia.

April 16, 2013
New Zealand set to legalize gay marriage

Parliament is to vote on amending their marriage bill with the majority of ministers in favor

New Zealand is ready to make gay marriage legal with parliament set to vote on the issue tomorrow (17 April).

The proposal to amend the country’s 1955 Marriage Act has been well received, and includes backing from Prime Minister John Key, the Global Post reports.

April 10, 2013
Slovenia's judges demand new laws for gay couples

Constitutional Court in Ljubjana rules that the old Family Code discriminates same-sex couples and asks the parliament to intervene

Slovenia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the country's law on inheritance and succession discriminates same-sex couples.

Speaking this morning (10 April) in the eastern European country’s capital, the court’s spokesman said ‘the Ljubljana’s parliament should fix the gap in six months’.

The new rules come after the case of two lesbian women from the Slovenian city of Koper. One of them appealed to the court after her partner died and she found she had no inheritance rights.

March 31, 2013
Republican senator thinks a future GOP presidential nominee will be for gay marriage

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake looks into the future and sees a Republican presidential nominee who supports gay marriage

Senator Jeff Flake thinks there will come a day when Republicans will rally around a presidential nominee who supports gay marriage.

The Arizona politician made the prediction today (31 March) to reporter Chuck Todd on the news show Meet The Press.

'I think that's inevitable,' Flake said. 'There will be one, and that I think he'll receive Republican support, or she will.'

March 29, 2013
First same-sex couple legally wed in Oaxaca, Mexico

A lesbian couple have become the first same-sex couple to be legally wed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca following a Supreme Court ruling that found the state’s ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional

Two women have been legally wed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca in the first legal same-sex marriage to occur in the state.

LGBT rights group the Oaxaca Front for the Respect and Recognition of Sexual Diversity announced on Thursday that the two unnamed women had married on March 22 in a private ceremony.

The women were one of three couples that had challenged the state’s ban on same-sex marriage in the Mexican Supreme Court last year.

March 27, 2013
Opposition to same-sex marriage has increased in New Zealand, poll shows

Poll from The New Zealand Herald shows that 48% of respondents oppose gay marriage, up from 40.5% last June

A new poll from the New Zealand Herald has shown that opposition to same-sex marriage has risen in the country.

The Herald DigiPoll survey showed that 48% of respondents believed marriage should remain between a man and a woman, 7.5% more than a poll last June.

Support for same-sex marriage was still higher than opposition however, but this had fallen by 4%.

March 25, 2013
Gay Star News previews blockbuster week at US Supreme Court for gay marriage

Challenges to Prop 8 and DOMA could have historic implications

Although it could be months before the US Supreme Court issues its rulings, this week's hearings on California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) are already historic.

It marks the first time the high court has ever decided to take on gay marriage cases and it does so as multiple polls show support of marriage equality at an all-time high.

March 24, 2013
New New Zealand Archbishop says its ok for church and state to disagree on marriage

The newly elected head of the Anglican Church in New Zealand says that he believes that governments have the right to decide who can and can’t get married – even if they come to a decision that the church disagrees with

The newly elected Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand says that it is too early to say what official stance his church will have on same-sex marriage – but he personally believes that governments have the right to decide whether same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into civil marriages.

Taranaki Bishop Philip Richardson was elected to the role of Archbishop of New Zeakand on Saturday and will jointly head the church with Archbishop Brown Turei, who heads the Maori arm of the church, and Archbishop Winston Halapua – the Bishop of Polynesia.

March 12, 2013
Pensions and partners could still cost trans people dear in same-sex marriage bill

The marriage equality bill for England and Wales still presents some problems for transgender partners as it finishes its Committee Stage in parliament

In the UK, Members of Parliament (MPs) have been debating equal marriage in the Bill’s Committee Stage which will conclude today.

Under the system for England and Wales, the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill passes through this stage where the really detailed review and revision work is done. It will then be reapproved by the House of Commons before moving to a debate and vote in the House of Lords.

March 11, 2013
NZ Anti-gay marriage group says gay couples should not be allowed to adopt

'The two most loving and capable women in the world simply cannot provide a daddy - and two men cannot provide a mum,' Family First NZ says

Anti-gay-marriage lobby group Family First NZ are objecting to same-sex couples being able to adopt children.

The group released a statement today claiming that changes to adoption laws 'are being sneaked in under the radar'.

'Significant changes to adoption laws should not happen without appropriate debate and consideration,' said Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

March 8, 2013
Bill Clinton says DOMA is 'contrary to our constitution'

Former president says Defense of Marriage Act, which he signed into law in 1996, is contrary to the American principles of freedom, equality and justice

The US president who signed into being a law that 'defended' marriage as being between one man and one woman has denounced the law as 'contrary to our constitution'.

Bill Clinton ratified the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, which he describes as 'a very different time', in an article in the Washington Post.