ACT Marriage

From the BBC:
"Australian Capital Territory legalises same-sex marriage"

The Australian Capital Territory has become the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex marriage.

The ACT parliament passed a bill that will allow gay couples to marry, after a short debate on Tuesday. Celebrants will now be allowed to marry same-sex couples inside the ACT, regardless of which state they live in. Federal law, however, specified in 2004 that marriage was between a man and a woman, and the federal government is expected to challenge the move. The move was passed in the 17-member ACT Legislative Assembly, backed by Labor and the Greens, with the Liberals voting against. "There is no longer any excuse, if there ever was, to discriminate against same-sex couples in our community," ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher told the parliament. "More than anything, they are our equals. The Marriage Equality Act puts this fundamental principle and human right into law," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted her as saying.  Attorney-General George Brandis, however, says the local law will face a legal challenge, because it is inconsistent with the national-level Marriage Act. Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who leads a Liberal-National coalition, opposes same-sex marriage.  Last year, a bill allowing same-sex marriage was voted down in both houses of Australia's national parliament.

^ Hopefully, this will survive in Australia's Supreme Court and that it will spread to other states and territories. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24619686