'I DO' - Australian Marriage Equality Ad

Australian Marriage Equality have released their latest video campaign on YouTube to promote the growing support for Gay & Lesbian Marriage. Hundreds of people attended the event which was held at Sydney Town Hall on the 25th September 2011.

Have a look if you haven't seen this already

Barry O'Farrell Backing Gay Marriage Conscience Vote

The NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has said that he would allow Liberal MPs a conscience on the issue of same-sex marriage if the issue were presented on a state level.

O’Farrell joins South Australian Liberal leader Isobel Redmond in support of a coalition conscience vote on same-sex marriage.

The NSW Premier expressed his support today in response to an inquiry on the issue from Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich on Twitter.

O’Farrell’s stance puts him at odds with Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott, whose office has said there would be no conscience vote for Federal Liberal MPs on an marriage equality legislation. Greenwich welcomed the Premier’s comments on the issue.

“The Premier knows that there is growing support for marriage equality within the coalition, and understands the importance of allowing that support to be expressed,” he said

** Reposted from the Sydney Star Observer**

http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2011/10/26/ofarrell-backs-gay-marriage-conscience-vote/64544

Yardhouse is Sydney's New Hotspot

Yardhouse Bar and Brasserie opened last week in Haymarket and should be a hit with Sydney’s urban business crowd and theatre-goers attending the neighbouring Capitol Theatre.

Formerly Paddy McGuire’s pub, a major refurbishment undertaken by the Metro Hospitality Group has created a stylish and contemporary venue while still paying homage to the heritage of the area — particularly the former Palace Hotel which once occupied part of the site.

Metro Hospitality Group chief operating officer George Bedwani said the Yardhouse’s name was inspired by the popular beer-drinking vessel of the 1800s, the yard glass. The front bar off George St has been renamed the Palace Bar and will continue to appeal to the traditional patrons of the area who enjoy a drink after work.

“Yardhouse Bar and Brasserie is an exciting new venue in Sydney’s entertainment precinct,” Bedwani said.

“We wanted to ensure the venue retained links to its important heritage while also expanding its offering to appeal to a broader clientele.”

Chef Daniel Collins, previously head chef at the Russell Hotel, has created a menu that includes light meals to tempt pre-theatre patrons as well as hearty fare for its business clientele.

While the pre-theatre menu includes dishes like spiced calamari with Szechuan pepper salt, chilli, coriander and citrus aioli or beef and James Squire Porter pot pie, the full menu has a selection of four steaks (including a 300g Wagyu rump), four types of skewers with different international heritages, and six mains including slow-braised pork belly, Queensland spanner crab linguine and crisp skin salmon with tomato, white bean and fennel.

At the Palace Bar, choose from more than 60 craft beers, while an all-day bar menu is available.

A downstairs area in the venue has been created specifically for live music. Reggae bands will be featured on Monday evenings while rock bands are expected to prove a popular option for patrons on Friday and Saturday evenings.

All areas can be hired for private functions, providing an opportunity for corporate event managers to combine an evening at the theatre with pre-theatre dinner and drinks in a designated area, or a post-show nightcap.

Food is served in the bar from 11am until late every day while the brasserie is open for lunch from noon-3pm, Monday to Friday, and for dinner from 6pm. On weekends, the brasserie menu is available all day until late.

INFO: www.yardhouse.com.au or (02) 9212 2111 for Reservations and Enquiries

REPOSTED FROM: The Star Observer (http://www.starobserver.com.au/life-style/food-life-style/2011/10/11/sydneys-new-yardhouse-is-a-palace/63657)

Conscience Vote Most Likely on Gay Marriage

Will we ever get the right to marry? This is the question on everyone's tongues at the present moment in time and it looks like a Parliamentary Conscience Vote will be held on Same-Sex Marriage at Labour's National conference later on this year.

All the Labor state and territory branches, except NSW, now support gay marriage after the Victorian Labor Party yesterday voted in support of a resolution calling on the ALP to amend the party platform.

''In a way it feels odd to get up here at a Labor state conference and talk about love but it is such an important and central foundation … to happy lives,'' the co-convener of Rainbow Labor, Sarah Cole, said.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, supports the current definition of the Marriage Act but says she is prepared to debate the issue t the party's conference.

Although senior members of her cabinet have spoken in support for the change, many MPs remain uncomfortable about a more liberal position. Changing the Labor Party platform to support same-sex marriage would be controversial, painting Labor as beholden to the Greens.

''The easiest way to accommodate everyone is a conscience vote,'' one Labor source said.

Federal Labor's position on asylum seekers was also criticised at yesterday's state conference, with members calling for the offshore processing system to be scrapped.

The government's attempts to amend the Migration Act will be thwarted in the Senate, where it will be voted down by the Greens and the Coalition. The Coalition also wants the changes to be knocked back by the House of Representatives later this week, which it would argue is tantamount to a vote of no-confidence in the government. But the outcome likely depends on West Australian Nationals MP Tony Crook, who has not decided how to vote.

Yesterday, a group of prominent figures, including former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, called on the government to process refugees onshore. In an open letter to Parliament, the group says the government should honour its commitment to take 4000 refugees from Malaysia and expand its current intake of refugees to 25,000 people.

Among the 19 individual signatories are former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry and former NSW attorney-general and human rights advocate John Dowd.

MPs yesterday played down any suggestion Ms Gillard's leadership would be challenged before the end of the year, citing the importance of getting the carbon and mining taxes passed by Parliament.

But there is anger at the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, who some MPs wish would ''just shut up''.

Click on the link and send an email via Petition Online to your local Member of Parliament if you agree that homosexual couples should be allowed the same basic rights as heterosexual couples.

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Gay Marriage - Tasmania Passed

The Tasmanian House of Assembly is the first state in Australia to pass an amendment to the Marriage Act, allowing marriage equality for gays and lesbians.

The Greens' motion now calls on the Federal Government to change the Marriage Act.

The passage of the motion was greeted with applause from Labor and Green members on the floor of the House and a standing ovation by same-sex marriage activists in the public gallery.

Liberal members voted against the motion.

The debate was watched by a large national audience on the Parliament's internet broadcast.

Greens leader Nick McKim said the motion provided hope.

"By voting in support of marriage equality, Tasmania has written itself into this country's history books, as a national leader in advocating a compassionate and progressive society," he said. "It is now time for the Federal Government to act to remove legally entrenched discrimination."

Mr McKim said that if the Federal Government did not reform marriage laws by the end of the year, he would push on with plans for state legislation.

Premier Lara Giddings said the vote was a great day for the state.

"Tasmania has come a long way since 1997 when we rectified the terrible situation of having homosexual relationships considered illegal in this state," she said. "We've come a long way to show we are in fact a tolerant and compassionate community."

Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich said people nationwide followed the debate.

"What they heard today was a message of hope. They heard a message of hope coming out of the Tasmanian Parliament that one day gay and lesbian Australians will be treated equally by the law and by the Marriage Act," he said. "This gives us the momentum and the encouragement to go on and keep fighting."

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman Rodney Croome said: "If every state and territory parliament were to do what we have seen in Tasmania today, it would be impossible for the Federal Parliament to continue to resist change. If Tasmania can do this, other states and territories can do it too."

Catholic Archbishop of Hobart Adrian Doyle expressed disappointment: "Our position on maintaining the current meaning of marriage is well known and the church will continue to lobby both state and federal politicians to ensure the Act is not changed."

Presbyterian minister Campbell Markham was also unhappy with the result: "Today's Greens motion is an attack on the basic rights of children."

Click the link to see ABC's News Coverage

Gay Couples to press Julia Gillard over Dinner

Once again the Australian PM has been questioned about her views on Gay Marriage, this all happened a few nights ago at Federal Parliament in the King's Hall. The ticket price for the event was AUD $12,000.00 per head and six lucky members of the GetUp! Political Activist Group secured seats through bidding for the tickets.

Australia is aware that Julia Gillard is personally against gay marriage and also the Labor party and conservative opposition support Australia's current ban, despite polls suggesting growing public support for the law to change. It is the second time GetUp! has won the annual raffle, and I can only hope that by writing this that Australia will assist Gay Communities everywhere in Australia to come together and show their support to allow this and hopefully Julia Gillard will listen to the mass population and start the process of legalisation of Same-Sex Marriage.

Currently there are ten countries around the world who have legalised Same-Sex Marriage, remember that I am not counting Civil Unions which are currently present in other countries around the world also.

If you would like to see Gay Marriage Legalised, then please sign the petition by clicking the link below.

Petition to Legalise Gay Marriage

Have your say on Gay Marriage

An online survey by Wentworth MP Malcolm Turnbull into gay marriage is proving extremely popular and you still have the chance to participate.

To take part in the survey simply log on to www.malcolmturnbull.com.au and follow the prompts.

According to a spokesperson for Mr Turnbull, “There has been an overwhelming response to this survey, which shows this issue is obviously very important for the community.”

To date, over 1100 responses have been received from constituents within the Wentworth electorate alone. “However, for the survey to be as accurate as possible, it is important that even more people take part.” Said the spokesperson.