Ellen DeGeneres declares support for marriage equality in Australia in the sweetest way
Australia's marriage equality debate has sparked the attention of celebrities and major companies worldwide, including Ellen DeGeneres.
Australians are currently in the midst of a non-binding, non-compulsory nationwide survey asking the question: “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?” Parliament can make the change now, but before it does, it's taking the country's temperature on the matter.
Declaring her support for the 'Yes' vote to her casual 73.5 million Twitter followers, the dance-happy comedian posted a very sweet message on Monday, featuring her wife of nine years, Australian-American actor Portia de Rossi.
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Australians were quick to reply:
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De Rossi and DeGeneres celebrated their nine-year anniversary in August, also marking the date with a delightful Instagram post:
DeGeneres has also retweeted Australian comedian and Please Like Me creator Josh Thomas, who recently led a Twitter campaign dubbed #TheyGetToVote, pointing out likely "No" voters. The campaign also encouraged members of the LGBTQ community to voice their own experiences with abuse.
This is the post DeGeneres retweeted:
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DeGeneres joins fellow high-profile international 'Yes' supporters like Apple's Tim Cook, who notably pledged Apple's support on the eve of a rather low-key product launch.
Australian postal surveys were sent out starting Sept. 12, and Australians will have until Nov. 7 to mail it back to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Then, the survey results will be announced on Nov. 15, after which the issue will be voted upon in federal parliament.
The $122 million voluntary survey has been a point of controversy, with marriage equality supporters calling it a stalling tactic. Several polls have already found the majority of Australians are in favor of same-sex marriage.
Topics Activism Ellen DeGeneres X/Twitter Politics
Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.
