The gay Liberal senator behind the same-sex marriage bill said he never believed his relationship would have equal recognition.
Dean Smith was embraced by politicians from all sides after today's speech, the first in the parliamentary debate on legislation to allow same-sex marriage.
"I never believed the day would come when my relationship would be judged by my country to be as meaningful and valued as any other. The Australian people have proven me wrong," Senator Smith told parliament as he fought back tears.
Australians returned a resounding yes vote to the government's marriage equality survey, with 61.6% of people supporting a law change and 38.4% against.
Senator Smith's bill was introduced to the upper house yesterday with cross-party support and was on target to be legalised before Christmas.
Alternative legislation, which would have allowed businesses to refuse to provide services for gay weddings on religious grounds, was abandoned.
"It wasn't just a vote of acceptance, it was that deep loving embrace of a big family," Senator Smith said.
Senator Smith said amendments which wound back freedoms for gay and lesbian Australians would be "strenuously opposed".
Labor senate leader Penny Wong said she first felt the power of prejudice when she moved to Australia from Malaysia as an eight-year-old.
"It is from this experience that I am driven to remove discrimination and embed equality," Senator Wong said.
She finished her speech with a heartfelt tribute to her partner, Sophie, and their two daughters.
"Hannah and Alexandra, I work for and fight for the world I want for you," Senator Wong said.
Greens senator Janet Rice told parliament she had been discriminated against after her partner Penny became a woman, 17 years after they married.
"We went from being the perfect family in the eyes of others to being weird and we started being discriminated against," Senator Rice said.
"You don't know the pain of having to let go of your partner's hand because you're not sure the reaction it might get from people around you."
The Senate has extended hours for its next sitting, to deal with the legislation by the end of the next parliamentary week on November 30.
"It is my goal and I believe it's the same commitment from all parties, that we should get this done before Christmas," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told ABC Radio today.
"I'm very confident that we will get it done."
Conservatives were expected to propose amendments. Attorney-General George Brandis has already flagged two changes he will make.
Senator Brandis will move amendments to extend exemption for religious ministers to civil celebrants and ensure people can legally have any view on same-sex marriage.
Mr Turnbull rebuked conservative backbencher Kevin Andrews who said Islamic bakers should be able to refuse to bake cakes for Jewish weddings and vice versa.
Mr Andrews made the comments while arguing the Smith bill would allow bakers to refuse serving same-sex couples for a wedding if they were against same-sex marriage.
"I absolutely do not agree with Kevin Andrews that bakers should be able to discriminate against people whether it's on the basis of their religion - I found that an extraordinary proposition - or their sexual orientation or gender or race or the colour of their skin," Mr Turnbull said.
Same-sex marriage round the world
• Same-sex marriage is legal in 25 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Uruguay, United States.
• In some of these countries, such as Mexico and Britain, marriage is only open to same-sex couples in some regions. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is not allowed.
• The first country to legalise same-sex marriage was the Netherlands in 2001.
• In Africa, where homosexuality is a crime in many countries and can lead to imprisonment or the death penalty, South Africa alone has granted the same access to gay couples. Same-sex marriage legislation came into force there in 2006.
• In May, Taiwan's constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry, the first such ruling in Asia.
• Almost one in three adults globally believe people of the same sex should be allowed to marry, a survey of almost 100,000 people in 65 countries showed in 2016.
SOURCES: International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), Pew Research Center, Reuters. (Reporting by Umberto Bacchi @UmbertoBacchi
- AAP and Thompson Reuters Foundation
