LGBTQ news and entertainment
Just two weeks after Australia’s “vote by mail” survey showed 61.6% of Aussies approve of same-sex marriage, the nation’s Senate has approved a bill that would make marriage equality a reality by a wide margin of 43 “Yes” votes to only 12 “No” votes.
The issue now moves to the House of Representatives where it is expected to pass easily.
Watch below the moment when the Senate votes were announced last night.
As Australia’s Senate debates marriage equality legislation, with hopes of passing by Christmas, same-sex marriage opponents are seeing their amendments meant to water down the bill voted down in rapid succession.
Via Buzzfeed:
The amendments would have added far-reaching exemptions into the bill, including the right for all celebrants to refuse to solemnise gay weddings on religious or conscientious grounds and legal protections for people who don’t believe in same-sex marriage or think gay relationships are wrong.
Their decisive defeat is a considerable victory for the “yes” campaign and LGBTI advocates, who feared opponents of same-sex marriage would try and insert clauses into the bill that would roll back anti-discrimination law.
The first amendment debated by the Senate would have effectively allowed civil celebrants to refuse to marry same-sex couples based on their religious or conscientious beliefs. It was defeated 42-24.
The second would have legislated widespread legal freedom of speech protections for people who hold various beliefs, including those against same-sex marriage but also against same-sex parenting and relationships, as well as an anti-detriment clause and a legislated parental right to pull children out of classes that mention the relevant beliefs. It went down 44-20 after a few hours of debate.
A further amendment relating to defence force chaplains was also defeated, as were amendments in relation to registered charities and religious organisations, with similar margins.
After the five amendments from the conservative bloc were defeated, the Senate also voted down two amendments from Brandis and resources minister Matthew Canavan.
The first, defeated 36-27, would have inserted a line about religious freedom taken from the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights into the bill, and the second, defeated 38-25, would have extended a right to civil celebrants to refuse to solemnise gay weddings.
BuzzFeed News understands that supporters of the legislation are confident that very few, if any, amendments will get up and the Smith bill will pass the Senate largely unamended.
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| Bob Katter |
Now that 62% of Australians have given a thumbs up to marriage equality, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised to make same-sex marriage the law of the land “down under” by Christmas.
But Christian fundamentalist and anti-LGBT legislator Bob Katter says there are other matters much more pressing that need attention.
“I mean, you know, people are entitled to their sexual proclivities. Let there be a thousand blossoms bloom, as far as I am concerned,” said Katter at a recent press conference.
But his tone switched up as he brought up an issue near and dear to his heart.
“But I ain’t spending any time on it because in the meantime, every three months, a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in north Queensland.”
Katter has apparently been concerned about the inferred crocodile death epidemic (which actually doesn’t exist) for some time.
However, according to the Australian Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, there have been only 11 croc attacks since 1985.
While I understand how vicious a crocodile attack may be, I’m not sure it’s a good reason to put all other legislative issues on hold.
Watch Katter share his concerns below.
In this week’s podcast:
• Australia’s mail-in survey shows a whopping 62% of Aussies support marriage equality which means gay wedding bells will soon be ringing ‘down under.’
• Monday, November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance. For more info, visit www.glaad.org/tdor
• Legendary gossip columnist and openly bisexual Liz Smith passed away this week at the age of 94
• Philadelphia gay-basher Kathryn Knott settles a civil lawsuit with the two men she helped put in the hospital after a violent gay bashing in Philadelphia
• Supposedly straight Republican Ohio state Rep. Wes Goodman resigns after reports of “inappropriate” consensual behavior in his office with another man
• Plus, I share two new documentaries I think you should see: Rebels On Pointe and Dream Boat.
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
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Some news items you might have missed:
• InstaHunk of the Day: Sean Andrew Sanders
• A Navy pilot drew a big penis in the sky and everyone is talking about it.
• If you ever get down about a mistake or misstep you’ve made lately, remind yourself that at least you’re not this guy:
• Congrats to Allison Ikley-Freeman, an openly lesbian married woman who was just elected to Oklahoma state senate in a district that Donald Trump won in last year’s presidential election.
• Remember this Australian couple who said they would divorce if marriage equality came to Australia? No word yet on whether they intend on following through on that…
• “I love my body/I love my skin/I am a goddess/I am a queen,” sings Jessie J on her latest single, “Queen.” The self-empowerment-themed mid-tempo is from her upcoming album R.O.S.E. (Realizations, Obsessions, Sex and Empowerment). Listen below.
Shortly after Australia’s Chief Statistician revealed that 62% of Aussies approve of same-sex marriage, Melbourne-based Mark Keevers decided to surprise his boyfriend Andrew with a cheeky marriage proposal.
Andrew competes with the Melbourne Surge water polo team. After the Surge’s latest match, Mark met Andrew poolside and placed a rainbow flag towel around his shoulders.
With their favorite song, Jess Glynne’s ‘Hold My Hand’, playing in the background Mark dropped to one knee and directed Mark’s attention to his teammates whose swimsuited bums spelled out “Marry me?”
“He is just everything” Mark told The Star Observer. “He has this passion for everything he does. We have the same values, and want the same things, it’s perfect.
Mark also expressed his gratitude to his countrymen for the all-important “Yes” vote from the recent mail-in survey.
“The ‘Yes’ result is completely validating,” he said. “To see that people in my own country see me as legitimate and the same.”
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| The happy couple |
Today the results of Australia’s mail-in survey on marriage equality were announced, and once again, equality wins the day.
According to Australia’s Chief Statistician, 61.6% voted “Yes,” 38.4% said “No.”
Every state and territory voted a majority “Yes”. All states except New South Wales voted “Yes” by over 60%; NSW voted “Yes” by 58%.
An astounding 79.5% of eligible voters took part in the “vote-by-mail” effort.
Australia’s Parliament will begin work immediately to craft and pass legislation to change the marriage laws “down under.”
Australia is set to become the 25th nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
YES vote wins in Australia’s same-sex marriage survey. Live coverage: https://t.co/LAScbG69tk #auspol #ssm #7News pic.twitter.com/yijvhQFQ6A— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) November 14, 2017
Watch the incredible moment Australia said YES to same-sex marriage! (🔊 up 👆🏼 for this one!) #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/MAb1OeOQNh— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) November 14, 2017
The Melbourne reaction #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/4Ye3VOd5NR— Tom Cowie (@tom_cowie) November 14, 2017
In this week’s podcast:
• Political history was made in elections across the country this week by LGBT candidates
• A new poll in the UK shows gay men have an issue with masculinity
• Australia looks poised to legalize same-sex marriage, but there could be a snag
• A Las Vegas father shoots and kills his 14-year-old son for being gay. Click here to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign aimed at helping pay funeral expenses.
• Pro soccer player Robbie Rogers, the first openly gay athlete in one of the “big four” professional sports, announced his retirement
• Star Trek star and LGBT icon George Takei accused of sexual misconduct
All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
Wow, this is surprising.
A new poll by Lonergan Research in Australia shows 49% believe businesses should have the right to deny services for same-sex marriages due to religious beliefs.
The poll indicated 35% do not think service providers should be allowed to discriminate and 15% had no opinion.
The Lonergan Research poll showed 65% of those surveyed support marriage equality, compared with 27% opposed and 8% unsure.
This comes as Australia’s “vote-by-mail” survey ended this week assessing Aussie’s views on marriage equality. The results will be made public on Wednesday.
The “vote-by-mail” survey on marriage equality in Australia has now ended, and now, we wait.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 78% of those Aussies who received a mail-in ballot for the (expensive $122 million) postal survey on same-sex marriage participated in the vote.
A new poll in The Guardian indicates 64% of respondents voted “Yes,” 31% were “No” voters and 5% declined to answer the question.
The final tally will be announced on Wednesday, November 15.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised to pass legislation to legalize same-sex marriage should the majority say “Yes.”