Iceland has stolen the glory from our new female PM with their Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir becoming the first national leader to marry their same sex spouse.
Sigurdardottir married her partner writer Jonina Leosdottir on Sunday, which was the first day Iceland’s new laws allowing same sex marriage came into legislation. Though the couple have enjoyed a civil union for years, the new law allows marriage with full rights.
Iceland joins the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden and Portugal which all have laws allowing marriage equality. Much has been made in the media about Julia Gillard’s unmarried status, but has articulated no policy variation from Labor’s traditional stance.
The Age reports that Australian churches are moving with the times. A same-sex ceremony in a Brunswick church on the weekend included two local men. According to the article “everyone concerned carefully distanced themselves from the words ‘wedding’ or ‘marriage’. But the intent of the same-sex ‘sacred union ceremony’…was fairly clear.”