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.

Marriage equality advocates say Australia is falling behind, after New Zealand's Conservative Prime Minister John Key announced he has no personal opposition to gay marriage.

Pressure has heaped on Prime Minister Julia Gillard following US President Barack Obama’s decision to air his personal support for same-sex marriage during a television news interview overnight.

The Speaker of Federal Parliament, Peter Slipper, has stood down in the wake of a growing scandal involving allegations of fraud and sexual harassment against a young male staffer.

The Australian Government will include LGBTI people as a special needs group under the Aged Care Act, and will allocate $2.5m over the next five years for LGBTI training of the aged care workforce, in an announcement greatly welcomed by the likes of ACON and the National LGBTI Health Alliance.

A few days after having dinner interrupted by gay rights activists, Coalition Leader Tony Abbott refused to answer a question on marriage equality at a public forum overnight, as the East Sydney branch of the Liberal Party became the first branch within the party to pass a motion in favour of a conscience vote on the issue. 

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown has stepped down from his position as party leader and announced his plans for retirement after 16 years in the Senate.

You may have caught writer Clementine Ford last week asking Malcolm Turnbull on Q&A: “when are you going to take back the rightful leadership of the Liberal Party”? 

The removal of discrimination against same-sex couples wanting to marry in Australia is only a matter of time, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has told marriage equality advocates.

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.

On the night in 2007 that Labor won the federal election, a Kevin Rudd meme – a “lolKevin” – went into interweb circulation. It was a photo of an authoritative-looking Rudd with a very simple imploration below: “Don’t fuck it up.”

Last week saw a disheartening but perhaps necessary reality check on marriage equality.

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.

Marriage equality advocates are pleading with the ALP not to introduce same-sex marriage legislation prematurely, before they have had time to further lobby MPs.

Growing activism and a shift in public mood towards marriage equality, culminating in the ALP adopting same-sex marriage as part of its policy platform, was the big news this year. But plenty of other good and not so good things have also gone down. Alex Dunkin gives an overview.