Will Pollies say ‘I Do’ to same-sex marriage rights?

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown will push for a conscience vote to allow gay and lesbian marriage after the next election.

Both major parties are currently against changes to Australian marriage laws which would allow weddings for same-sex couples. But if the Green party take the balance of power in the Senate after tomorrow’s federal election, then gay marriage will be back on the agenda.

As it stands, the Marriage Act states that marriage is “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” Same-sex couples are currently restricted to Commitment Ceremonies, which hold no legal standing.


A civil celebrant can help make a Commitment Ceremony as close to a legal marriage as possible. Commitment Ceremonies celebrate the spiritual, emotional and practical joining of same-sex or other devoted couples.


About the author: Laura Craddock is an open-minded and modern Sydney civil celebrant who conducts same-sex Commitment Ceremonies with pride.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Clare and Arron Wedding: Dunbar House

Image
Not even rain could dampen Clare and Arron's spirits when they got married at Dunbar House, Watson's Bay. The happy couple celebrated many years of love and friendship, whilst also making a commitment to share their future together. They were thrilled with the personalised ceremony created by their celebrant, Laura Craddock. "[Laura] I can't even properly articulate just how absolutely ecstatic Arron and I were with how the ceremony ran, and the integral part that you played on our special day. Thank you for helping us create a ceremony that was intimate, special and absolutely suited our personalities and tastes. We are beyond lucky to have stumbled across you on a vague google search and honestly feel like we were 'meant' to find you because you were exactly what we had been looking for in a celebrant. Not only did you help me through the ceremony through my nerves (and fetching me water!) but also beforehand when Arron and I were quite nervous
Read more

Steve & Mez Hunter Valley marriage celebrations

Image
Steve and Mez  I first met Steve and Mez via Skype as they began to arrange their Australian marriage celebrations from overseas. Months of planning and organisation all came to a perfect conclusion as family and friends gathered in the Hunter Valley to celebrate with the gorgeous couple. Mez being walked down the aisle by her father - Photo by James Bennett Steve and Mez were very happy with the celebrant services offered by Laura Craddock: "Laura truly was excellent. From the moment we first spoke to her on the phone all the way through to the ceremony on our big day, she was just a pleasure to work with and was amazing on the day, ensuring our wedding was simply perfect." - Steve and Mez The 'Giving Away' - Photo by James Bennett The exchange of vows. Photo by James Bennett Laura Craddock is a modern  marriage celebrant  based in Sydney, NSW. She conducts weddings and other civil  ceremonies . Call Laura on 0422507105 to discuss your wed
Read more

When will same-sex marriage be made legal in Australia?

Image
Same-sex marriage will soon be legal in Australia Australian Parliament is currently debating changes to the Marriage Act 1961,  which would allow same-sex couples to marry in Australia 2018. This follows a resounding 'yes' vote in the 2017 plebiscite on Marriage Equality. The contentious postal vote revealed that 61.6% of Australians believe same-sex marriage should be legalised. Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has pledged that parliament will vote on the issue of marriage equality before Christmas. Changes to the Marriage Act 1961 will need to be passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The earliest same-sex marriage could be ratified and accepted into law would be December 8, but there are no concrete timeframes in place and it coule be much later. ​ Once same-sex weddings are made legal, LGBTI couples will first need to lodge a Notice Of Intended Marriage with their celebrant in order to be able to marry. There is then a minimum one-m
Read more