Aussie P.M. Wishes Gay Sister Well, Still Doesn't Support Marriage Equality

Australia's prime minister says he will attend his lesbian sister's wedding and even give the happy couple a present, but this will not influence his stance on establishing legal marriage equality in his country.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott wished his sister Christine Forster and her fiancee, Virginia Edwards, the best in their nuptial plans but said he is a "traditionalist" when it comes to marriage. This follows a 9-8 vote Tuesday by provincial lawmakers for the Australian Capital Territory that established legal marriage rights for same-sex couples.

"From the immemorial in every culture that's been known, marriage, or that kind of solemnized relationship, has been between a man and a woman," said Abbott, according to Sky News.

His sister said she respects his opinion.

"His view is his view. He hasn't changed his mind that marriage is between a man and a woman," Forster told Sky News. "But certainly, I think the experiences of our family that I've gone through and Virginia's gone through over the last five or six years has certainly given him insight into just how important this issue is to people."