Bills call for legalization of gay marriage in Australia_美文

Bills call for legalization of gay marriage in Australia

Two bills calling for the legalization of gay marriage were introduced to Australia's parliament on Monday in a move campaigners said would add momentum to the push for equality.

The private member's bills, introduced by left-leaning Greens lawmaker Adam Bandt and Stephen Jones from the ruling Labor party, take to three the pieces of legislation now before the parliament calling for gay marriage rights.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young brought a similar bill in the upper house in September 2010 which is now being examined by a legislative inquiry.

None of the bills have enough support to pass into law but rights campaigners said their introduction, which follows Labor's reversal of its official policy to pro-gay marriage in December, showed the tide was turning.

"The Jones bill demonstrates the immense momentum behind reform," said Alex Greenwich, convener of the Australian Marriage Equality lobby group.

"Three months ago the Labor Party was officially opposed to reform and now we have a Labor member leading the way towards equality," Greenwich said.

He described Monday's events as a "milestone on the road to equality".

Greenwich said rights advocates wanted both Jones and Bandt's bills to be examined by the Senate committee looking into Hanson-Young's bill so that "the best possible legislation can be developed and put forward".