Description

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Australia since 9 December 2017. Legislation permitting same-sex marriage, the Marriage Amendment Act 2017, became law on 8 December 2017 and came into effect the next day. This immediately recognised overseas same-sex marriages. The first same-sex wedding under Australian law was held on 15 December 2017. The passage of the law followed a voluntary postal survey of all Australians, in which 61.6% of respondents supported the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Australia was the second country in Oceania, after New Zealand, and the 23rd in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide.