Australia's Pro-Gay "Kingmakers"

After a national election in Australia on Saturday left the country with its first hung parliament since World War II, the two main candidates are looking to four representatives — including a pro-gay independent and a pro-gay Green Party member — to decide which party will form a minority government.

The four representatives, who the BBC called “kingmakers” on Sunday, include independent Andrew Wilkie, who is projected to win in Tasmania, and Adam Bandt (pictured), who will represent Melbourne as the first Green Party member in the House of Representatives. Both Wilkie and Bandt expressed support for gay rights and marriage equality throughout the campaign.

Neither Prime Minister Julia Gillard, leader of the Australian Labor Party, nor her conservative rival, Tony Abbott of the National Party, supports marriage equality, but it’s likely they’ll both now reach out to Wilkie and Bandt and offer political concessions to win their support. It's unknown if marriage equality will be one the bargaining chips.