Inspiring photos show pure joy after Australia votes for same-sex marriage
Love is truly in the air.
Australia's overwhelming yes vote in its marriage equality postal survey was announced on Wednesday morning, and nervous supporters gathered around the country to hear the result.
In Melbourne, they gathered in front of the State Library of Victoria. In Sydney, upbeat music blared through Prince Alfred Park at a party full of believers in marriage equality, standing together -- prepared for any result, but hoping for a yes. In Canberra, where the announcement took place, politicians also anxiously waited for the result.
At 10 a.m. AEDT, the result of the postal survey were handed down, with 61.6 per cent of Australians voting yes. After months, years, decades of stress and fighting -- Australia finally said yes to equality. The survey was requested by conservative politicians who opposed marriage equality as a precursor for parliament to vote on marriage equality. Parliament doesn't need the survey to host the vote, but did so anyway, critics say, to stall.
There was an outpouring of joy, and of course, plenty of tears.
Topics Activism