AUSTRALIA: Thousands of people march through Sydney as Australia's ruling party votes to support gay marriage as its policy

Record ID: 277898

  • Title: AUSTRALIA: Thousands of people march through Sydney as Australia's ruling party votes to support gay marriage as its policy
  • Date: 4th December 2011
  • Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 3, 2011) (REUTERS) PRO-GAY MARRIAGE CROWD CHANTING, HOLDING PLACARDS POLICE HORSES CROWD MARCHING, POLICEMAN IN FRONT WEARING CAP PLACARDS PEOPLE WAVING RED FLAGS
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Australia, Australia
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEVKRV5EK6I33Z2A7SNK46UKHI
  • Story Text: Thousands of people marched through Sydney, Australia on Saturday (December 3) calling for same-sex marriage to be made legal, as the ruling Australian Labor Party debated the issue at its national conference.
    In Australia, same-sex marriage is not legal, though there has been mounting political pressure for the law to be changed. Police estimated that more than 5,000 people marched through central Sydney in support of same-sex marriage.
    The protesters waved placards and blew whistles as they made their way through the city to Darling Harbour, where the Labor Party conference was held.
    A Christian lobby group held an opposing demonstration against same-sex marriage, at nearby Martin Place.
    Local news reports estimated around 50 people attended the alternate rally.
    The leader of the Christian Democrat party, Fred Nile, who has for decades protested against homosexuality in Australia, headed the group.
    "Two homosexual men, no matter how much they try, will never become one," he told his audience.
    The pro- and anti-gay marriage groups eventually met up, causing heated arguments and they were separated by police.
    Meanwhile, Australia's ruling Labor Party voted to support gay marriage on Saturday but ensured that there would be no immediate changes to marriage laws after warnings the move would see the party thrown out of office.
    After a passionate debate at the party's national conference, Finance Minister Penny Wong, who is in a same-sex relationship, successfully changed the party's policy to end discrimination against gay marriage.
    But the party also backed Prime Minister Julia Gillard's position, that the government would not legalise gay marriage and that lawmakers would be free to vote any way they like on the issue, effectively killing off any chance of a law change in the near future.
    "I know many in this hall do not agree with my views," she told delegates at the meeting.
    Prime Minister Julia Gillard has long opposed same-sex marriage, having gone to the 2010 election promising not to change Australia's marriage laws, which currently state a marriage must be between and man and a woman.
    "As we go into the nation's parliament, on this question, people should be able to follow their conscience," she said.
    After being heckled, Wong, herself in a committed same-sex relationship addressed the party.
    "We know the worth of our relationships, and we want their value reflected in, and not diminished by the party's platform," she said.
    Same sex marriage is legal in 10 countries and in several states in the United States, including New York. But it remains illegal in Australia; although same sex partners have equal rights to heterosexual couples under other areas of the law.
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