More Australians are in favour of gay marriages. According to the latest Galaxy poll, half of the survey respondents back same-sex unions while 33 opposite it and 17 per cent are uncommitted,

However, seen as a pressure on both Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott - who are both anti-gay marriage - is that 74 per cent of respondents who are Labor voters and 77 per cent of Conservative voters want a free vote on the issue.

When the Australian Labor Party held its conference in 2011, the MPs backed a conscience vote.

"Same sex marriage divides the community and has Julia Gillard in a bind.... More voters are in favour of same-sex marriage than are opposed and so Julia Gillard's stance to oppose same-sex marriage leaves her open to criticism that she is out of touch with the community," The Herald Sun quoted David Briggs of Galaxy.

"However, if she was now to embrace same-sex marriage she would run the risk of alienating many of those opposed to the change in legislation and this would cost Labor votes," he added.

A private members' bill on same-sex marriage authored by Labor MP Stephen Jones is under study by a parliamentary committee and expected to be debated by the second half of 2012.

On Monday, Workplace Relation Minister Bill Shorten admitted he was heavily influenced by the views of Michael Kirby, a retired High Court judge and gay marriage advocate, although he initially had no definite opinion on the issue.

"If we accept being gay is not antisocial, which it's clearly not, then how can you only have some rights in the society? And he's also said, which I find influential and persuasive, if a gay couple is married, how does that affect someone else's marriage?" The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Mr Shorten.

Meanwhile, Queensland MP Bob Katter admitted that The Australian Party lost 7 per cent of its first preference votes or 15 seats because of the anti-gay marriage advertisement the party ran in the state.

Mr Katter said the advert was an example of insensitivity which he considered the crowning glory of all mistakes. He acknowledged it was a political mistake of major proportions.

While the same-sex marriage debate rages in Australia following the vocal support of U.S. President Barack Obama of gay unions, younger Aussie gays who are not of age yet to think of walking down the aisle with a person of the same gender are getting instead treatment at a Melbourne hospital for gender identity disorder. It includes hormone treatments to make them feel more like the opposite gender.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that since 2003, 39 children and adolescents have undergone the treatments for gender identity disorder. Among them were seven children who got the nod of the Family Court to suppress puberty to give them time to consider going through sex-change treatment when they are in their late teen years or early adulthood.

The males got oestrogen treatment to encourage breast and other feminine characteristic, while their testicles are softened to make it smaller. For females, they got testosterone which suppresses menstruation and encourages hair growth, muscle bulk and deepening of voice, while increasing clitoris size and erections.