The Australian Greens welcome today’s ‘yes’ result and look forward to passing cross-party legislation in parliament as soon as possible.

“I am delighted at today’s result. Australia has voted ‘yes’ to love, ‘yes’ to human rights, ‘yes’ to equality,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson.

“I know that right across the country there will be celebration and relief that Australians chose love and voted ‘yes’. I can’t wait to hear the wedding bells ringing for LGBTIQ couples as soon as possible.”

The Greens are pleased to be a part of this cross-party marriage bill along with Senator Dean Smith, who proposed a draft of this bill some months ago, members of the Liberal and Labor parties and crossbench senators from the Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party and the Nick Xenophon Team.

“We’re on the brink of an historic reform, so it is wonderful to have cross-party support,” said Senator Rice. “We don’t want to pre-empt tomorrow’s survey result, but we want to make marriage equality a reality at the earliest opportunity, so we’re getting ready now.”

The Australian Greens say that the update from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that 57.5% of votes have been returned in the marriage equality postal survey is heartening, but they will not take anything for granted and will continue campaigning for a ‘yes’ win.

“It’s a good sign that so many ballots have been returned – it just goes to show that Australians care deeply about this issue, despite this process being forced on us when there was a much easier and less harmful way,” said Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson.

The Senate has supported a motion calling on the Government to encourage the public to reach out to LGBTIQ people and enquire about their wellbeing for R U OK? Day.

“We are being told by mental health experts that the LGBTIQ community will experience negative mental health impacts during the marriage equality survey, so it is more important than ever to ask R U OK?”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Mental Health Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

The Australian Greens are calling on the government to increase funding for support services for trans and gender diverse young people, after research by the Telethon Kids Institute found that 48% of trans young people have attempted suicide, 80% had self-harmed, and that they are 10 times more likely to suffer serious depression and anxiety compared with the general Australian adolescent population.

Australian Greens Senator and LGBTIQ spokesperson, Janet Rice, has joined Australian Marriage Equality in a challenge to the validity of the postal plebiscite in the High Court.

"I’m pleased that the movement for equality has put forward strong legal challenges, and I’m honoured to be a part of these. The postal plebiscite would subvert the will of the Parliament after the Senate again rejected legislation for a plebiscite. LGBTIQ Australians and their families will be hurt by this expensive, divisive, non-compulsory, non-binding postal plebiscite,’ said Senator Rice.

The Australian Greens are urging everyone, particularly young people, to check that their enrolment details are up-to-date or to quickly get themselves on the roll so they have the choice of voting in a postal plebiscite on marriage equality if one goes ahead, said Australian Greens leader Dr Richard Di Natale and Greens LGBTI Spokesperson Sen. Janet Rice.