of all children in couple families (0.1%). In 2016, it increased to 10,500 children, accounting for 0.2% of all children in families. Income of same-sex couples Individuals in same-sex relationships were more likely to have higher personal incomes than those in opposite-sex relationships. In 2016, 23% of men in same-sex relationships earned $2,000 or more a week, compared with 18% of men in opposite-sex relationships. For women, the difference was greater. Women in same-sex relationships were twice as likely to be earning $2,000 or more a week as women in opposite-sex relationships (14% compared with 6%). Religious affiliation A 2008 study of LGBT Australians found that 35% were raised Protestant, 30% raised Catholic and 29% raised irreligious. According to the 2016 Census, LGBT people were most likely to report they had no religion (67%). However, 32% said they were Christian. This was in contrast to heterosexual people, for whom Christianity was the leading affiliation (59%) followed by not having a religion (28%). Same-sex partners were more likely to be affiliated with Buddhism than those in opposite-sex relationships (3.9% compared to 2.7%) and less likely to be affiliated with Hinduism (0.5% compared with 2.4%) or Islam (0.7% compared with 2.4%). History Queer Indigenous Australian history is little-known, with limited evidence of formal structures or roles except in the Tiwi Islands. Rights As a federation, Australia's states and territories are responsible for many laws affecting LGBT and intersex rights. Between 1975 and 1997, the states and territories progressively repealed anti-homosexuality laws that dated back to the colonial era. Since 2016, each jurisdiction has an equal age of consent for all sexual acts. All jurisdictions offer expungement schemes to clear the criminal records of people charged or convicted for consensual sexual acts that are no longer illegal. Beginning on 12 September 2017, a national plebiscite titled "Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry? " was commenced. 61.6% of total votes were in support of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, leading to Australia recognising same-sex marriage on 9 December 2017. States and territories began granting domestic partnership benefits and relationship recognition to same-sex couples from 2003 onwards, with federal law recognising same-sex couples since 2009 as de facto relationships. Alongside marriage, same-sex relationships may be recognised by states or territories in various ways, including through civil unions, domestic partnerships, registered relationships and/or as unregistered de facto relationships. LGBT adoption and