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Australia votes in favour of same-sex marriage

By Will Stroude

The results for Australia’s same-sex marriage survey are in, and it’s a Yes.

The results were announced today (Wednesday, November 15)  after almost two months of voting. According to reports, more people by percentage ( 79.5%) of the population voted on the issue than Britons voted on Brexit and Americans voted in the Presidential election.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed 61% of the population voted to allow same-sex marriage, with 38% voting against.

To celebrate the win, a giant rainbow flag will be raised to mark the result above Taylor Square in the heart of Sydney’s LGBT neighbourhood of Darlinghurst.

Despite the historic win, the law won’t yet be legal and supporters will have to wait for same-sex marriage to be legalised before they can actually marry.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised that the government will “facilitate a private member’s bill to make same-sex marriage legal before the end of the year.”

“They voted ‘yes’ for fairness, they voted ‘yes’ for commitment, they voted ‘yes’ for love. And now it is up to us here in the Parliament of Australia to get on with it,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Over the course of the vote, the entire country was torn apart. Numerous celebrities called for Australians to vote for equal marriage, including Kylie Minogue, Hugh Jackman, the Hemsworth brothers and more.

However, supporters were met by opposition as they were targeted by homophobes. One man reportedly tried to kick a dog wearing a ‘Yes’ bandana, and razor blades and dirt were found in several postal ballots.

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