Australian Capital Territory

CANBERRA, Australia — A state lawmaker and his partner dressed in matching suits and ties embraced and kissed in front of Australia’s Parliament House early Saturday in one of the nation’s first same-sex marriages. Stephen Dawson, a 38-year-old member of the opposition Labor Party in the Western Australian Parliament, and partner Dennis Liddelow, 39, flew […]

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s first same-sex weddings can take place this weekend after the nation’s highest court decided to rule next week on the law allowing gay marriage in the national capital.

HOBART, Tasmania — A motion to revive the debate over same-sex marriage in Tasmania’s parliament was defeated in the Upper House Legislative Council Tuesday, as local MP’s voted to leave the question up to the Federal Parliament in Canberra.

CANBERRA, Australia — A provincial parliament in Australia has become the country’s first to pass a law that allows same-sex marriages. But the federal government has threatened a court challenge.

Newly elected Australian prime minster Tony Abbott said this week that his government is considering possibly blocking the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) proposed same-sex marriage legislation.

CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian Christian Lobby, a powerful anti-gay political faction, announced this week that it will exert pressure on Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott, to override the Australian Capital Territory’s proposed marriage equality law by passing a bill in the federal parliament to block the effort.