A terminally ill woman and her partner were the first same-sex couple to marry in Australia, it has been revealed.
Officials waived the 30-day waiting period due to exceptional circumstances, allowing Jo Grant, who was suffering from a rare form of cancer, to wed her partner of eight years, Jill Kindt.
The private ceremony took place at their home in Queensland in December, less than a week after gay marriage became legal in Australia. Sadly, Grant passed away from her illness just 48 days later.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The couple’s story was made public in parliament this week with permission from Grant’s family.
“This is a love story – of the deep bond between Jo Grant and Jill Kindt,” state Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath told lawmakers.
“This is also an inspiring story of the extraordinary length our staff went to, to make this historic marriage happen before it was too late,” she added.
The ceremony took place within 24 hours of the marriage being approved, with officials reportedly driving across the state to ensure the paperwork was delivered on time, ABC News reports.
Kindt has praised their efforts, thanking all those who helped their dream come true.
“We were overwhelmed by the fact the people who did not know us made something that we wanted happen and gave us a whole heap of joy,” she told the broadcaster. “That’s the story.”
Speaking in parliament, Attorney-General D’Ath said Grant’s mother, Sandra, believed the marriage “renewed Jo’s spirit, keeping her alive along enough to have one last Christmas with her family.”
“She passed away knowing she got to fulfil her wish to get married to the person she loved.”
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
10 things you need to know today: September 16, 2023Daily Briefing Ripple effects seen throughout auto industry as UAW strikes, Lee expected to bring flooding and storm winds to New England, and more
-
American rescued after 12 days in Turkish cave
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
-
What Mexico’s first female president might mean for the ‘femicide nation’
feature The Latin American country is grappling with misogynist crime amid a backdrop of progress for women in politics
-
Ukrainian military has ‘shown how the Russian army can be beaten’
Talking Point Recent Ukrainian frontline advances may offer hope for its counter-offensive
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
-
Protests in Syria: could they bring down the Assad regime?
Talking Point Threat to power grows amid poverty, inflation and ‘botched’ response to earthquake
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
-
India or Bharat? G20 invitation fuels speculation over name change
Talking Point Rumours are circulating that the government is preparing a new name in a bid to break with the country’s colonial past
