Vote Expected Thursday In Australian Parliament That Will Set Stage For Gay Marriage Debate, Highest Court Of Appeal In France To Rule On Constitutional Validity Of Country’s Gay Marriage Ban, Albanian Gay Non-Government Organization Calls On Armed Forces To End Anti-Gay Discrimination

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that a vote on whether Australian politicians can canvass their electorates on gay marriage is expected in federal parliament Thursday, a motion made by the Australian Greens, and amended by the ruling Labour Party, calls for all MP’s to consult with voters on the issue of same sex marriage, despite continual reminders that the Labour Party’s national platform states marriage is defined as that only existing between one man and one woman. Wednesday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she supported the Green’s motion passing, but that the debate on same sex marriage must still occur at the Labour national conference before any amendment to current law, adding that people were “getting way ahead of themselves.”

The AFP reports that Tuesday, the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court of appeal, asked the Constitutional Council to rule on whether gay marriage should continue to remain illegal, the request made after individuals in August requested a court in the north-eastern city of Reims to review the legality of articles in the civil code that ban same sex marriage. The not-named individuals said that the articles are unconstitutional because they “limit the personal freedom of a French citizen to marry someone of the same sex.” The Court of Cassation said gay marriage “is today the subject of a broad debate within society notably because of the evolution of morals and the recognition of same sex marriages by the laws of several foreign countries.” Currently, in Europe, same sex marriage is available in some form in Belgium, Britain, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

Pink Embassy, a non-government organization in Albania, has called on the country’s armed forces to fight anti-gay discrimination, the Balkan Insight reporting that the group released a statement reading “With the approval of the anti-discrimination law in Alban legally does not impede the enrolment of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in army,” adding that homosexuals “have been, are and will be part of the military, despite the fact that they cannot express openly their sexual orientation due to prejudice.” Pink Embassy wants an education campaign to be conducted in the military that would counter any and all discrimination faced by gays and lesbians.