He is regarded as one of the country’s most prominent advocates for the introduction of same-sex marriage but over the weekend Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich put politics aside for some personal happiness instead, marrying his long-term partner Victor Hoeld in a ceremony in Buenos Aires.

Academy Award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s play, 8, on the controversial referendum that stripped gay and lesbian couples of the freedom to marry in California will premiere in Sydney and Melbourne next month with an all-star local cast including Daniel Macpherson and Lisa McCune.

Marriage equality advocates have welcomed comments by the head of the Anglican Church in Australia, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, after he wrote a letter stating his belief that the introduction of marriage equality would not affect religious freedom.

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.

Alex Dunkin looks at the state of play in South Australia regarding same-sex marriage.

The Senate inquiry into marriage equality has closed for submissions with a record number being sent to the inquiry, making the same-sex marriage bill the most supported bill in the federal parliament’s history.

South Australia has become the first state to allow a full free vote for both major parties on the issue of same-sex marriage legislation.

The European Court of Human Rights has found that member states are not compelled to legalise same-sex marriage.

Polling has identified South Australia as the key state for achieving national marriage equality with strong support seen from both the state’s main political parties.

Activists have again warned that introducing federal civil unions rather than marriage equality would be unacceptable to same-sex couples.

Advocates for marriage equality are preparing for their dinner with Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the Lodge on Tuesday night where they will be able to discuss in person the case for same-sex marriage.

Marriage is in the air this Valentine’s Day, with the NSW Greens announcing they will move a motion asking State Parliament to call upon the Commonwealth to support marriage equality, while one of Australia’s funniest women, Magda Szubanski, has used the day to publicly come out as lesbian and give her “1000 per cent” support to same-sex marriage.

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.

Key Independent MP Tony Windsor has rubbished the chances of marriage equality legislation succeeding through Federal Parliament anytime soon while declaring that he himself was unlikely to support any bill on the issue.