Ben & Jerry's bars two scoops of same flavour over Australia's gay marriage ban

Ben & Jerry's has banned customers from ordering two scoops of the same flavour ice cream in Australia to highlight the lack of marriage equality for LGBTI people in the country.

"Imagine heading down to your local Scoop Shop to order your favorite two scoops of Cookie Dough in a waffle cone. But you find out you are not allowed – Ben & Jerry's has banned two scoops of the same flavor. You'd be furious!" the company said in a statement.

"But this doesn't even begin to compare to how furious you would be if you were told you were not allowed to marry the person you love."

"So we are banning two scoops of the same flavor and encouraging our fans to contact their MPs to tell them that the time has come – make same sex marriage legal! Love comes in all flavours!"

The company is also encouraging customers to write a postcard to their MPs urging them to support marriage equality, which they can post in rainbow boxes installed in all Ben & Jerry's stores.

Ben & Jerry's said: "In Australia, 72% of the population supports Marriage Equality, so why haven't our leaders acted?

"Before the next parliamentary sitting on June 13th, it is time to stand up for fair and equal rights for all by letting our leaders know that we demand Marriage Equality!"

The postcards will be delivered before the final parliamentary session in June.

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Australia and the government doesn't recognise marriages entered into overseas.