Tag: Australia

Australia said yes! Equal marriage passed in the Australian parliament on December 9 but, thanks to the traditional 30-day waiting period, most same-sex couples had to wait until January 9 to tie the knot. (A few couples got special exemptions to marry early.) Below, browse images from some of the first same-sex weddings from Down Under. Love wins! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bdrs80NBud0/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bds-rTVAJlC/ Hundreds of couples had their ceremonies at the stroke of midnight, like Gillian Brady and Lisa Goldsmith (above) who were wed at The Court...

Jetstar say its staff were only made aware of the abuse after the incident on the Australia flight A couple in Australia say their New Year celebrations were ruined by a fellow passenger aboard a Melbourne to Perth flight. Cat Franke, 23, and Julz Evans, 26, were on the night flight to visit family. Franke, a cosmetic tattooist and model, took to Facebook to explain what happened. She said that the man sat directly behind her transgender partner was behaving erratically. ‘The man started...

Hey, Hugh Jackman! The future looks bright! Sydney, one of the world’s first major cities to welcome the new year, did so with an epic New Year’s Eve fireworks display at Sydney Harbour Bridge. https://twitter.com/sydneymardigras/status/947455102134108160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newnownext.com%2Fsydney-new-years-2018-rainbow-fireworks-marriage-equality%2F12%2F2017%2F Attended by an estimated 1.5 million people, the show featured a section with rainbow-colored fireworks and matching waterfall effect in honor of Australian parliament passing marriage equality earlier this month. Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore announced plans for the prideful display earlier this month on Twitter. https://twitter.com/CloverMoore/status/937835029933146112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newnownext.com%2Fsydney-new-years-2018-rainbow-fireworks-marriage-equality%2F12%2F2017%2F “This New Year’s...

As we all recover from celebrating last night, let's reflect on one of our top posts of the year. This post makes us want to find that special someone in 2018. A new inclusive ad encourages gay couples to "hold tight." Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), the bank responsible for the campaign, sheds light upon the apprehension that some LGBT couples feel when engaging in even an innocent public display of affection. "When you feel like letting go… ... hold tight."

A Maori man has proposed to his Aboriginal Australia boyfriend during a live TV interview. Just days after the Australian Parliament moved to legalise same-sex marriage, the couple appeared on Kawekōrero Reporters on Maori TV. Richard Haeata of Te Whānau-a-Apanui and his boyfriend Robert Stewart (Iora Nation) appeared on the show, but nobody guessed what was going to happen next. Haeata popped the big question in the most nonchalant way. He said: “I can’t go down on one knee. “But I would love you...

The Australian couple who got engaged on live TV as the postal vote result was announced have revealed their wedding location – and it’s incredible. James Brechney proposed to his partner of two and a half years, Stuart Henshall, as people around them celebrated the public voting Yes by a margin of 62% to 38%. And now, he’s gone one better by confirming that the couple will be using the best possible place to tie the knot. James confirmed on Instagram that...

This dairy farmer had an emotional response to the announcement of marriage equality in Australia. As Jason Smith milked his cow, he listened live to the marriage equality bill passing in Parliament on his headphones. He was so overwhelmed with emotion about the results that he said he “couldn’t stop crying”. Speaking to The Standard, a local newspaper in south-west Australia, he said: “I just got this feeling of being equal and being okay and having the rest of the country accept...

Australian Border Force denies profiling an inbound passenger for looking 'a bit gay' A German national was forced against his will to get on a flight to Japan after he was refused entry into Australia by border force agents. He was eventually deported after he was allegedly accused of coming to the country to engage in sex work. Michael* had been living in Australia for more than two years when he took a week-long trip to Japan after his tourist visa expired....

Neville Wills, 98, and his partner Ian Fenwicke sat together as they watched New South Wales decriminalise homosexuality in 1984. But the Sydney couple, who have been together for 39 years, never imagined they would one day be planning their wedding. 'I'm glad I've lived this long to see it,' Mr Wills told The Sydney Morning Herald after marriage equality laws were signed off on Thursday. Mr Wills, a university professor, and Mr Fenwicke, 74, first met at a luncheon in the...

Respondents said they faced more physical or verbal assaults following the announcement of the postal vote than before. The number of assaults against LGBT people doubled during Australia’s equal marriage postal vote, new research has revealed. Over 9,500 LGBT people and allies participated in a survey conducted by the Australia Institute and the National LGBTI Health Alliance to investigate the impact of the postal vote. Preliminary results were released this week, and it found that the vote took a massive toll on...

A gay Australian MP proposed to his long-term partner during a debate on legalising same-sex marriage. Tim Wilson, a Liberal MP, fought back tears as he popped the question to boyfriend Ryan Bolger in the country’s House of Representatives. The occasion was the first time an MP has proposed on the floor of the House. The Speaker recorded the moment for Hansard – including noting that his partner had said “yes” from the gallery. He went on to say: “In my first speech...

Consider yourselves warned... Everyone’s internet boyfriend and one of Australia’s biggest advocates to end homophobia in sport and supporter of marriage equality, David Pocock, has just sent gay Twitter into meltdown. The Zimbabwe-born player posted Instagram story after he finished going for a run. ‘Running done…but still the whitest man in Ota ??,’ the story caption read. The caption was almost inconsequential to the photo that accompanied it. It features a post-workout Pocock doubled over the camera, and it is remarkable. Needless to say,...

Excellent news! 43 members of Australia's Senate voted to pass a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Only 12 voted against it. Having passed this first hurdle, the bill will now go on to be voted upon by the House of Representatives, next week. Earlier this month, 61.6% of Australians who participated in a postal vote said they were in favor of a law change that would allow for same-sex marriage. As a result, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the government would aim...