Tasmania's Lower House has become the first in the country to vote in favour of same-sex marriage.

The Greens motion is supported by Labor MPs and calls on the Federal Government to change the Marriage Act, but it does not have the full support of the Tasmanian Parliament because it was not considered by the Upper House.

Nonetheless, there was celebration when the Lower House politicians voted in favour of same-sex marriage.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman Rodney Croome says it was a proud moment.

"I am exceptionally proud today as a gay man and as a Tasmanian that the Tasmanian Parliament has sent such a strong message to the rest of the country; that marriage is about love, not discrimination," he said.

But the motion has disappointed others like the Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower.

"I think it's good to keep marriage to mean what it means, and for their relationships to have another term," he said.

"I can't see that that's discrimination. I can see that it's a description of a different sort of relationship.

"A loving relationship between same-sex couples, which is a civil union, a committed partnership, whatever term they might like to have, is a descriptor of that sort of relationship, as marriage is a descriptor of a relationship between a man and a woman."

At the core of this debate is the belief that we are equal before the law and where the law prejudices one person over another change is required.

Tasmanian Premier Lara GiddingsThe motion to support marriage equality and call on the Federal Parliament to amend the Marriage Act was put forward by Greens Leader Nick McKim.

"Ultimately love is what marriage equality is about; it's about respecting the love of a couple for each other and the love of each of us for our fellow Australians. And love doesn't discriminate," Mr McKim said.

The Labor Government backed the motion.

"At the core of this debate is the belief that we are equal before the law and where the law prejudices one person over another change is required," Premier Lara Giddings said.

"A gender-neutral Marriage Act in this country would remove the discrimination currently experienced by same-sex couples who wish to marry and those that support them in this effort."

'Inflated message'
The motion did not get unanimous support, with the Opposition voting against it and their leader Will Hodgman accusing the Greens of having backed down from its attempts to make same sex marriage legal in Tasmania.

"It's a significant departure from your original position to introduce legislation to actually change the laws in Tasmania not just express a view," he said.

"And as I say it's not even an expression of the whole parliament; it will only be an expression of two parties combined with the majority of members in the Lower House.

"So to inflate it as some sort of nation leading message to Canberra is tenuous to say the least but that's the grandstanding that's going on."

Greens MP Cassy O'Connor responded by saying Mr Hodgman's speech contained bigotry.

"I felt sick because what you espoused was actually bigotry, effectively; it was; it was bigotry," she said, but later apologised.

Outside parliament Mr McKim vowed to act if Canberra does not change the Marriage Act.

"We will bring on our bills for debate in the Tasmanian parliament; we're backing away from nothing," he said.

"Who's backing away from things? The Liberal party is backing away from ending discrimination faced by same sex couples in Australia, that's who's backed away from things today."

Upper House position
Members of Tasmania's Upper House may have been left out of the vote, but they are already being lobbied by both sides of the same-sex marriage debate.

That is because the Upper House will be crucial if the Greens do try to legalise same-sex marriage in Tasmania.

But the result is a real unknown as most of its 15 members are independents.

The ABC's PM program called the members to ask them if they supported same-sex marriage. Three said they did, six said they did not and three were undecided.

There was one no comment from some and another MP said her opinion was irrelevant because same-sex marriage was a federal issue.

Ruth Forrest, one of the undecided independents, says she wants people to understand that Wednesday's vote does not reflect the entire Parliament.

It is not the view of the parliament of Tasmania because to get the view of the parliament of Tasmania you need to have a motion that is supported, or rejected, whichever way it goes, by both houses of parliament.

Tasmanian Upper House MP Ruth Forrest"A motion that's debated in the Lower House will reflect... the views of the Lower House members," she said.

"It is not the view of the Parliament of Tasmania, because to get the view of the Parliament of Tasmania you need to have a motion that is supported, or rejected, whichever way it goes, by both houses of Parliament."

One independent Upper House MP who supports same-sex marriage is Tony Mulder.

"On a serious level I think that marriage is really a religious institution, but we're well past that particular line now and it really isn't any business of the state as to who should be marrying whom," he said.

"However, all said and done I think that gay marriage is much better than miserable marriage."

One of the two Labor members in the Upper House, Doug Parkins

Quote:

In California the PEOPLE decided that marriage was to be between a man and a woman.

What did the gay lobby do?

Run to a courtroom and ask a judge to overturn the vote result.

Seems it's "the will of the people" only when it suits them.