“If it is good enough for California, it is good enough for Australia!” say our nation’s loudest marriage equality advocates this week.

Many of Australia’s LGBT lobby groups have warmly welcomed yesterday’s Federal Court decision that the ban on same-sex marriage in California should be overturned.

“We send our congratulations to our brothers and sisters in California who have won this battle for equal marriage rights,” says the Equal Love convener Ali Hogg in Melbourne.

“Let this be a reminder to Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott that their views on same sex marriage are outdated and that the laws need to be overturned here in Australia.”

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener Alex Greenwich agrees, saying that Australia’s major political party leaders are “living in the past.”

“The Californian decision, coming on top of marriage equality in Argentina and Portugal, and imminent debate on the issue in Chile, Uruguay and Nepal shows how the tide is changing towards support for marriage equality,” he says.

“As a marriage equality advocate I am celebrating the global movement towards equality for same-sex couples, but as an Australian I am deeply embarrassed our country is lagging further and further behind”.

The California decision comes at the same time as Tony Abbott justified his opposition to same-sex marriage on the basis he is “old fashioned” and Julia Gillard made it “crystal clear” she does not support full equality for gay and lesbian Australians.