A bill that would have legalized gay marriage in Australia was rejected on Wednesday after the House of Representatives voted 98-42 against the legislation. This is the first of four bills introduced to Parliament regarding the country's ban on same sex marriage. While the majority of Australians support same sex marriage, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the majority of the government oppose it.
Finance Minister Penny Wong made a strong statement, saying, "If you subscribe to the principal of equality, as I'm sure most in the chamber would, then substitute 'same sex' for 'race' in this debate and see if it changes your view."
