A federal inquiry into marriage equality held in Sydney was told, “No one writes love songs about civil unions,” as advocates suggested the positive case they presented emphasising fairness clearly trumped “the tired old arguments” of opponents of the reform, including one fundamentalist Christian group which likened homosexuality to incest.

In a little under two hours marriage equality advocates will appear at a federal parliamentary hearing on same-sex marriage being held in Sydney today to argue that Australia has a historic opportunity to become a more equal and inclusive nation.

Advocates for equal marriage rights believe Tony Abbott is running out of arguments against same-sex marriage since his sister Christine Forster publicly came out.

New Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, has been urged to govern for and represent all Queenslanders following the Liberal National Party’s (LNP) mammoth election win over the weekend, with fears still remaining within the local LGBTI community that the LNP will repeal the state’s newly enacted civil unions laws.

Widespread community outrage and a backlash on social media networks has greeted the airing of a “homophobic” anti-gay marriage ad by Katter’s Australian Party in Queensland overnight attacking LNP Leader Campbell Newman, with some including Bob Katter’s half-brother calling it “desperate” and “disrespectful” while others have suggested it will only appeal to “rednecks”.

Upon the first sitting of Federal Parliament for the year, The Greens have announced they will move today for a Senate inquiry into marriage equality, with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s 2010 bill on same-sex marriage to receive further investigation.

A national television commercial featuring parents and grandparents talking about why they want marriage equality will screen across the country from today, as advocates dismissed the latest call from the likes of Liberal MP Warren Entsch for a national civil union scheme instead. 

Marriage equality advocates were joined by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young just before midday in Canberra today to push for a new Senate inquiry on the issue, which they believe would help tackle lingering concerns held by some MPS as well as members of the wider community.

BRISBANE: There are concerns that a review panel committee ordered by Queensland Attorney-General Paul Lucas to examine the use of the so-called ‘gay panic’ defence in murder cases does not contain a single gay male committee member.

Queensland Independent MP Rob Messenger announced that he will introduce a bill to repeal the state’s same-sex civil union legislation that was passed earlier this month.

The openly gay, married sister of high-profile, conservative media personality Andrew Bolt has written a stirring and thought provoking rebuke to the vocal opponent of marriage equality, a week after not being allowed to post a comment on an article by Bolt on his highly read blog which claimed that gay marriage would lead to Islamic Sharia law and polygamy.

MELBOURNE: Community advocates and some Christian leaders are calling on supporters of marriage equality to stand by a Baptist Minister sacked last week for giving his public support to the issue following a campaign by conservative Christian group Salt Shakers to oust him.

Thredbo disaster survivor Stuart Diver, who also lost his wife in the tragic 1997 incident, has today come out in support of marriage equality, saying in a statement that marriage “should be available to all in our community regardless of gender or sexuality”.

A meeting in Canberra between marriage equality advocates and key federal independents has been hailed as a success.

CANBERRA: In a little over a few hours, four everyday Australians will join marriage equality lobbyists as they sit down for dinner with four federal Independent MPs in a bid to show how supporting same-sex marriage rights is important to help make Australia a fairer place for all.