←Click here to enjoy the music, and start our sociology journey.
Social issue
Tracing historical change, in the past, homosexuals are not permitted to get married legally in Australia before. Sexual minorities suffered discrimination and inequality in the heterosexual-dominated society, thus fearing to express love and hiding their true sexual orientation.
The early stage of laws
The Australian Marriage Act 1961, the law governing marriage in Australia, did not initially stipulate that marriage must be "between a man and a woman", so same-sex couples were theoretically able to marry.
However, when the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada legalized same-sex marriage in 2001, John Howard, then prime minister of the Liberal Party, proposed an amendment to the Marriage Act in 2004 to avoid the Australian government from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other countries.
In the Act, the definition of marriage is not only clearly defined as the union of the opposite sex but also clearly excludes the possibility that same-sex marriages contracted in other countries can be recognized by the Australian government.
Since then, the appeal for marriage equality has been brewing among the people.
The development of laws
1
Legalization
Australia legalized homosexual marriage on December 9, 2017. I read the Australian Government’s information, since 2003, states and territories have recognized same-sex couples as having a domestic partnership and as a relationship.
2
Other forms
Since 2009, federal law has recognized such relationships as being de-facto partnerships. The state or territory may recognize same-sex relationships in addition to marriage in a number of other forms, such as civil unions, domestic partnerships, registered relationships, and unregistered de-facto relationships.
3
Amounts
More than 14,000 couples have married in the three years after same-sex unions became legal. In my opinion, this data shows the necessity of marriage equality.
Results of the same-sex marriage law survey in Australia in 2017, by state
From this chart, we can know that:
Majorities support same-marriage legislation in every state
It has the highest approval rating in Australia
