Three out of four Australians believe gay marriage will soon be a reality
Three out of four Australians believe same-sex marriage will be made legal in their country, a poll showed Wednesday, prompting gay activists to renew their fight to be able to marry.
The Galaxy poll, commissioned by lobby group Australian Marriage Equality and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, questioned 1,052 adults on the subject of gay marriage.
The pollsters said: “Three in four of Australians say that it is inevitable that eventually the law will change in Australia to allow same-sex couples to marry.”
National convener of Australian Marriage Equality, Alex Greenwich, said most Australians already supported gay marriage, and that this confirmed the public’s growing acceptance of reform.
Mr Greenwich told AFP: “Australians have had the discussion, they have had the conversation, and they are either supportive of it or have accepted that it will happen.”
He added that support for gay marriage had soared over the last ten years, now standing at around 62 per cent according to a 2010 Galaxy poll, compared with a 30 per cent support level in 2004.
Gay marriage is currently banned in Australia and opposed by both major political parties. But in November lawmakers agreed to consult the public over the issue, which was a key point during last year’s elections.
The left-wing Green Party, a significant partner in Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s minority coalition government, have requested a conscience vote on the issue, insisting there is wide public support for a change to the marriage laws.
Ms Gillard, who is herself unmarried but has a partner, has repeatedly said that she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman.
