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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex issues

Marriage equality

  • The APS welcomed the 2017 Parliamentary vote and legislation to establish marriage equality in Australia. The legislation brought us in line with many other countries around the world in recognising the rights of same-sex couples to legally marry.
  • Psychologists have an ethical responsibility to work to ensure that all Australians are supported to achieve positive mental health and full social inclusion.
  • Decades of psychological research provides evidence linking marriage to mental health benefits for couples and their children, and highlighting how exclusion from socially sanctioned institutions like marriage can harm people's mental health.
  • Full recognition of same-sex relationships has a flow-on effect on same-sex attracted Australians, their loved ones, and the wider community.
  • Removing all discrimination from the Marriage Act to ensure that all people, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, can choose to marry also promotes acceptance and the celebration of diversity, particularly among young people.
  • Marriage equality is a human rights and equal opportunity issue and should not have been put to a popular vote, but rather on principle have been a matter solely for Australian law and our parliamentary system.

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