ACT TO RECOGNISE OVERSEAS MARRIAGES
VALENTINE'S DAY BONUS FOR HUNDREDS OF CANBERRA COUPLES MARRIED OVERSEAS
Advocates have praised the ACT government for passing an amendment to the Civil Unions Act recognising all overseas legal unions of same-sex couples, following similar changes by the Victorian government in 2016.
The Act previously recognised some nations that allowed same-sex couples to marry but the list had not kept up with worldwide progress on the issue.
The amendment will automatically recognise overseas unions if the union meets the criteria set out in the Civil Unions Act 2012.
just.equal national campaigner and proud Canberran, Ivan Hinton-Teoh said,
"State and territory governments continue to advance legal recognition of LGBTIQ relationships in the absence of progress federally."
"While this amendment will provide residents of the ACT legal recognition of their marriages conducted overseas it cannot provide recognition nationally that a change to the Marriage Act would provide."
Unfortunately this change is limited to creating legal recognition of overseas marriages as civil unions.
Responsibility for ensuring standard protection for LGBTIQ couples across the nation remains the responsibility of the federal government.
Hinton-Teoh said,
"Australian citizens should be treated equally before the law, regardless of what state or territory they live in. The federal government should get to the business of advancing this long awaited reform."
He added,
"This Valentine's Day my marriage to Chris performed in Canada is finally recognised in my city, but nine years after the fact and as a civil union. It may be better than chocolates and flowers, but it's still not equality."
