On Thursday, Australia's parliament passed a bill finally allowing people to marry regardless of their gender. According to The Guardian, the House of Representatives voted almost unanimously to legalize same-sex marriage in the country after a poll that showed that Australians overwhelmingly were in favor of it.
As the bill was passed, members of the Australian parliament broke out in celebration, as can be seen in a video from Sky News. People waved Pride flags, cheered, and joined in song, singing "I am, you are, we are Australian, an unofficial anthem for the country.
"What a day for love, for equality, for respect. Australia has done it," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, according to Sky News.
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Australian parliament bursts into song as the same sex marriage bill is passed pic.twitter.com/d9gHv2MXKQ
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 7, 2017
The Guardian reports that same-sex couples hoping to marry will have to wait until the new year. Australia has now become the 25th country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriage.
This, of course, means good news for MP Tim Wilson, a member of the country's Liberal Party who is openly gay, and who proposed to his partner during a same-sex marriage debate over the weekend. Spoiler alert: He said yes.
Elsewhere in the country, citizens rejoiced at the news. Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, who is affected by the bill, told The Guardian that the long-awaited decision and the poll were meaningful because they reflected how Australians have rejected campaigns that "questioned the legitimacy of LGBTI people and our families."
"I love the fact the Australian people turned it on its head, and forced [the parliament] to pass legislation without amendments," he said. "I’m embarrassed how much I’ve been crying. It’s something I’ve been working on for 18 years."
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