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Celebrities Flood Social Media With Rainbows and Heart Emojis Following Australia’s ‘Yes’ Vote

Written by Alexander Kacala on

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We’re still reeling that Australian citizens voted 61.6% for nationwide marriage equality in a non-binding postal plebiscite.

David W. Kalisch, head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced the results of the $122 million plebiscite yesterday. The results were 61.6% for to 38.4% against. An estimated 12.6 million of Australia’s 16 million eligible voters (or roughly 78.5%) mailed in their ballots.

However, the results merely return the matter to Australia’s parliament where legislators will now fight over what rights to grant and deny to same-sex couples.

That didn’t stop celebrities from taking to social media to express their joy that the country voted “yes” for marriage equality. Many tweeted out photos of rainbow-filled maps of Australia with lots of celebratory heart emojis.

From Kylie Minogue to Sam Smith, here’s how these celebrities celebrated the “Yes” vote in Australia.

Ellen DeGeneres

Sia

Courtney Act

Miley Cyrus

Troye Sivan

Ian Thorpe

Billy Eichner

Dua Lipa

Sam Smith

Kylie Minogue

Justin Trudeau

Boy George

Adam Lambert

Ricky Martin

Nick Jonas

Jonathan Bennett

What’s next after the yes vote?

The results of the Australia marriage vote lays the groundwork for a legislative battle in Australia’s parliament as same-sex marriage advocates push for a nationwide bill legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide and conservatives seek amendments that would allow discrimination against same-sex couples.

The Liberal Party has already drawn up a marriage bill in case of a “yes” vote. The draft bill was written by Senator Dean Smith and contains some exemptions: It allows ministers to refuse to officiate same-sex marriages. Likewise, organizations with a clear religious purpose can also opt out. The bill, as it stands now, is popular with the “Yes” campaign. The Labor Party has also backed it.

Now that the vote is over, the “Yes” side has planned celebratory parties in most major cities, while the other side focuses on the possible legislative gains that can still be won in Parliament.