Australia voted in favor of same-sex marriage in a postal survey last month, pushing Parliament to create legislation to finally legalize gay marriage. As the Australian House of Representatives continues to debate the bill, which was passed by the Senate, one Australian lawmaker took the opportunity to propose to his partner.
Liberal Party Rep. Tim Wilson originally opened on the floor by talking about his life as a gay Australian. Wilson, 37, then turned to his partner, Ryan Bolger, in the audience and spoke about their relationship.
“This debate has been the soundtrack to our relationship,” Wilson said, according to his official Facebook page. “We both know this issue isn’t the reason we got involved in politics.”
That’s when Wilson moved on to another, more personal point.
“In my first speech, I defined our bond by the ring that sits on both of our left hands. They are the answer to the questions we cannot ask,” Wilson continued. “So there’s only one thing left to do. Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?”
https://www.facebook.com/TimWilsonForGoldstein/videos/1545116622208461/
Bolger nodded to his partner and said “yes!” with a big smile, causing the chamber to erupt in applause. And to prove the point, both Wilson and Deputy Speaker Rob Mitchell asked to record the “yes” in the public record.
As it turns out, Wilson and Bolger didn’t just make history as a gay couple proposing on the House floor. They were also the first couple in the House’s history to ever propose in the chamber.
“We’ve dug through Hansard and [Wilson] appears to be the first ever Member to propose on the floor of the House,” the House’s official Twitter account wrote.
Update: We've dug through Hansard and @timwilsoncomau appears to be the first ever Member to propose on the floor of the House. pic.twitter.com/NLGLxpYIrm
— Australian House of Representatives (@AboutTheHouse) December 4, 2017
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promises a gay marriage bill will be approved by Parliament before the year ends.