Germany passes marriage equality

Whilst Australia continues to wait on our politics to allow the likes of David and I to get married, Germany has become the latest country to give the human right of marriage to it's LGBT.

Notably, it comes after Merkel allowed a conscience vote for her own party, in which around 70 of her own ministers would have had to have voted in favour. The vote was bought forward swiftly.

The way was paved for a vote on Monday night when Merkel said she wanted the issue to become one of "conscience," suggesting that she would allow a free vote among her own divided party.

Her Social Democrat rival for the role of chancellor, Martin Schulz, pounced on Merkel's comments the next day, advocating an immediate vote in parliament, before September's elections. The bill was put on the agenda for the last day before the summer break by the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Left party. Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc had criticized the SPD's move, saying that they had previously agreed not to hold a parliamentary vote on the issue during their coalition.

Schulz was quick to hail the outcome of the vote, saying that marriage for all meant "unity, justice and freedom" for all Germans who love each other, quoting from the German national anthem.

 ......................................

 Schulz had forced the speedy vote, saying he would "take the chancellor at her word."

 However, while some would consider the chancellor and CDU to have been wrong-footed, an alternative theory - that Merkel wanted to remove same-sex marriage as an election issue - has been floated. After all, Monday's comments did appear to be her laying foundations for a vote on the same issue in the next legislative period.

All three potential partners in government with the CDU - the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and pro-business Free Democrats - had declared same-sex marriage as a red-line 

demand for entering into any future coalition. DW

This of course highlights the absolutely pathetic state of the Lieberal party here. The majority of MP's in Canberra are in favour of marriage equality, but the Lieberals are bound to vote no as a block. If Turnbull allowed a free vote we could have marriage equality in Australia just as rapidly as Germany has got it.

However the Lieberals seem so obsessed with the horrific proposition that David and I might actually be able to marry like they all can, that they appear to be willing to risk gov to deny us our rights. Yes, it's that serious. 

Community frustration about this is running deep in Australia, including in the straight community. People can't understand WTF the problem is with the Lieberal party making such an issue out of something that to the great majority of Australians is a complete non-issue.