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Wedding Guests Cover Their Ears In A Sweet Act Of Defiance

"We certainly didn't have to listen to that absolute bull****."
Joy D'Souza
|

Wedding guests posing with their hands over their ears might not seem like a moment you'd want to capture on camera, but for one Australian couple, it was exactly what they wanted.

According to the Australian Marriage Act of 1961, all ceremonies must include the line: "Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life."

But Abbey and Mitch Johnston didn't want to hear it. So, when the couple got married at Coffs Harbour in Australia this past February, they asked their officiant to inform their guests to cover their ears during the controversial statement.

"Some of you may not know, but for a marriage to be legal in Australia your celebrant has to state that a marriage is between a 'man and a woman' only. Our celebrant had to say it but we certainly didn't have to listen to that absolute bull****. So we had our awesome celebrant to kindly ask our guests mid ceremony to cover their ears. I hope one day soon this terrible, archaic, unjust law is abolished in Australia. Until then be kind, be proud and stand up for what you believe in," Abbey wrote in a statement on Facebook.

When the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the ban on gay marriage across all 50 states last Friday, the couple and their photographer celebrated by posting touching photos of the couple and all 17 of their wedding guests covering their ears in protest of Australia's outdated law.

On Sunday, Australian communications minister Malcolm Turnbull called for a vote on gay marriage, after acknowledging that all the English speaking countries Australia is closest to have legalized gay marriage, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The minister announced he is in support of gay marriage and would vote in its favour. Australia's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, on the other hand, took to the media on the same day to reiterate his stance against marriage equality, the Daily Mail reports.

Watch the video above to find out what exactly motivated this couple to take such a strong stance for others on their big day.

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