One Of Australia's Oldest Gay Couples Can Finally Plan To Marry

Andy McDonald

Now that Australians have overwhelmingly voted to legalize same-sex marriage in a national survey, two Sydney residents who are believed to be the country’s oldest gay couple announced that they plan to marry in January.

John Challis, 89, and Arthur Cheeseman, 85, said they’ll get married in a quiet and very simple way, “not with any fuss.”

The couple, who met in 1967 as both men were leaving an art gallery, see the results of the national vote as a big step for the LGBTQ community.

“It is not just endorsing gay marriage ― it is endorsing gay and lesbian people,” says Cheeseman, a retired pharmacist.

The Australian Parliament is expected to pass a law legalizing same-sex marriage by the end of the year.

When asked about his fellow Australians who did not support marriage equality in the survey, Cheeseman said, “They will soon find out that it is not the end of civilization.”

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.