Australia has finally voted down its governing party’s planned plebiscite on same-sex marriage, with a coalition of the Labor, Greens, and Xenophon parties uniting to defeat the plan 33 votes to 29, as had been planned weeks ago.
LGBT+ rights activists celebrated the vote as they work with the opposition parties to begin to push for a free vote on same-sex marriage, something Prime Minister Turnbill’s government has not ruled out. However, the coalition that controls Parliament has remained steadfast that there is no “plan B,” and have threatened to delay same-sex marriage for years.