New Zealand legalises same-sex marriage

[Candlelight]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878073

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage has passed into law after its third reading in Parliament tonight, after months of emotional debate, parliamentary submissions, and passionate protests from people on either side of the issue.
New Zealand has become the 13th country in the world to enshrine marriage equality in law.
The Marriage Amendment Bill will take effect in mid-August and comes 27 years after New Zealand decriminalised homosexuality.

Hooray for us.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Congrats.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Excellent. New Zealand - the leading light of Oceania.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Bravo.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Excellent. New Zealand - the leading light of Oceania.

Otherwise known as The Pacific.

 

[Captain Shaw]

Love this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XCA8CA2hUoQ

 

[Miss Chicken]

Excellent. New Zealand - the leading light of Oceania.

Otherwise known as The Pacific.

Oceania usually only refers to a portion of the Pacific.

 

[Captain_Nick]

That's wonderful. I hope Australia gets its act together and follows suit.

 

[NCC1701]

Love this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XCA8CA2hUoQ

And yes, as the comments in the link say he is a conservative MP. Nice to see our politicians have got it right for a change, so we're now the 13th country legalise same-sex marriage, although it likely won't become law until late August. Go us!

 

[Amaris]

Hooray! Good news for equality!

 

[Sector 7]

Love this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XCA8CA2hUoQ

Who is he? I'd vote for him... trust me, I never thought I'd say that about a conservative again.

 

[auntiehill]

Yet another reason to think that New Zealand is awesome.

 

[Orac Zen]

Well done to our mates across the ditch.

NZ continues to kick our collective arse on social issues. It's way beyond embarrassing at this point.

 

[StarMan]

125'000 views? Shessh!

Yes, he's certainly made the headlines. He's already been invited on the Ellen show (though it's been reported he had to decline).

 

[Avon]

nice job new zealand!

 

[PopBoy]

I always thought Australia had gay marriage (or civil partnerships). Strange. Its pretty proud of its gay history - its pride festival is a major tourist draw and featured in its opening Olympics ceremony (I think). But yay for NZ!

 

[Kelthaz]

Love this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XCA8CA2hUoQ

haha, that was awesome.

 

[RoJoHen]

Good. Now the homoerotic bed-jumping scene at the end of LOTR is slightly less awkward.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Congratulations, New Zealand. You set a great example.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in my State for a while, and in several other States, but not the entire country; hopefully, the Supreme Court will fix that in June, just as they did for so-called interracial marriage back in 1967.

Love this guy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XCA8CA2hUoQ

"Enormous big Gay rainbow."

 

[Mitty]

I'm so happy for New Zealand but this is a major embarrassment for Australia where we like to think we are "ahead" of New Zealand (even though they are technically ahead of us as far as Time Zones go, hehe).

I still can't fathom why Julia Gillard (our left wing Prime Minister) doesn't support gay marriage. It makes no sense at all, I can only think she's pandering to religious groups.

Meanwhile we keep hearing rumblings that Liberal Party (conservative) leader Tony Abbott may eventually allow a conscience vote by his party on Gay Marriage should the issue rise again in Parliament. With several State leaders now for it and popular opinion definitely for it, I would hope we might see it realised after the next Election, which is already set for September 14.