The predominantly Catholic nation looks set to be the sixth European country - after Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway - to allow same-sex marriages although many other European countries have introduced civil partnerships.
An Argentine judge has granted a gay couple permission to get married, setting a precedent that could pave the way for the Catholic country to become the first in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage.
The ACT government passed legislation today making it the first to legalise civil partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples, but Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has the power to overturn the new laws because they are at odds with the marriage act.
LGBT activist groups have announced a new campaign "Year of Action for Same-Sex Marriage" in 2010 to be launched with a country-wide march on Nov 28 in major cities.
While same-sex marriage supporters stage rallies across Australia on Saturday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Labor Party voted on the same day to retain the country's ban on same-sex marriage.
Australians in the capital cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Canberra will take to the streets on Aug 1 to demand equal marriage rights for all regardless of sex and sexual orientation.
The California Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8 but also ruled that the the marriages of an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who wed in the five-month window before the ban took effect will remain valid.
Could having the highest concentration of (Caucasian) Buddhists - in the United States - have played a part in Vermont's relative ease with legalise same-sex marriage?
Into FUN and Friendship in San Diego and Southern California to accompany me to varied activities and RV camping; partial to younger Asian and Latino guys.
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