WHEN Premier Lara Giddings last week announced Labor would move to allow same-sex couples to marry, she received text messages of thanks from friends.
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``We're so proud of you taking up this cause on our behalf,'' some wrote.
One gay man the Premier knows proposed to his partner as soon as he heard of Labor's plans.
But Ms Giddings described this as a ``big hope''.
``It's got to get through the upper house,'' she said.
Labor made an election commitment that the party would not legalise same-sex marriage but Ms Giddings says the time has come for action.
``It's a debate that has not gone away, it's a debate that will not go away,'' she said.
``We're reflecting the change that has occurred in the Australian community and the Tasmanian community.''
An EMRS poll released on Friday by Australian Marriage Equality showed 61 per cent of the 1000 Tasmanians surveyed agreed same-sex couples should be able to marry.
Of the respondents, 54 per cent agreed Tasmania should go ahead with its own laws allowing same-sex couples to marry.
If the reforms are successful in Tasmania, a significant economic benefit to the state is expected.
``There are same-sex couples across Australia looking for a jurisdiction in Australia that will recognise their commitment to each other,'' Ms Giddings said.
Ms Giddings said based on the experience of New York City, each couple getting married in Tasmania would spend about $30,000 in the state.
``That's just for the couple, that's not talking about all of their friends and families that would want to come and be part of that celebration.''
But ultimately for Ms Giddings, it's about the principle - eliminating the discrimination.
``I think that it's wrong that somebody because of their sex doesn't have the same choices as me or anybody else in the community to marry if they want to marry,'' she said.
``Progressive law reform also helps to build that Tasmanian brand of being a modern, 21st century state that's open minded and very accepting of people broadly in our community.''
Churches and Christian lobby groups have voiced opposition to allowing same-sex couples to marry, citing the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
Ms Giddings said churches should not be worried about any changes to legislation.
``This is about the state recognising that relationship; it's not about churches,'' she said.
At last weekend's ALP state conference Ms Giddings also announced the government would apologise to the victims of forced adoption practices which took place from the late 1940s to the early 1970s across Australia.
It is estimated 3000 unmarried women were forced to give up their babies in Tasmania during this period.
``That apology is very important, it will never heal all the wounds,'' Ms Giddings said.
``While it may have been the social norm of the day, it has had dramatic consequences for people . . . it has created and left big wounds particularly for those mothers who had those babies taken away.''
Ms Giddings said while the state would apologise on behalf of everyone, churches and other institutions involved in forced adoptions in the past may also wish to offer their own apologies.
At a time when the state's economy is facing challenges, Ms Giddings said social reforms remained important and did not mean the government was not focusing on economic challenges.
``Labor has a proud history of pushing through social reform,'' she said.