Google – AFP, Neil Sands (AFP), 17 April 2013
 |
New Zealand
has become the 13th country to legalise gay marriage,
according to Human Rights
Watch (HRW) (AFP/Illustration, Pedro Armestre)
|
WELLINGTON
— New Zealand became the first Asia-Pacific country to legalise same-sex
marriage Wednesday after a decades-long campaign, a historic decision
celebrated with parties across the gay community.
A
parliamentary vote overwhelmingly backed a move to amend the 1955 Marriage Act
77-44 to describe matrimony as a union of two people regardless of their sex, sexuality
or how they choose to identify their gender.
"It is
about saying these lives matter, our society is big enough for us," gay
Green Party MP Kevin Hague told parliament.
 |
Scotty and
Mal from celebrate in Wellington
on April 17, 2013 after New Zealand legalises
same-sex marriage (AFP, Marty Melville)
|
"The
law unfortunately has treated homosexual New Zealanders as less than human, as
less than equal citizens," she told AFP. "What this bill will do is
ensure the state does not discriminate against any citizen."
On the
capital's Cuba Street entertainment strip, gay venues such as the San Francisco
Bath House and S&M's held parties while screening Wednesday night's vote
live.
Parliament's
public gallery was booked out due to overwhelming demand and a big screen was
erected in an overflow room near the debating chamber to accommodate hundreds
of extra onlookers.
"There's
going to be parties everywhere," LegaliseLove Wellington co-ordinator
Joseph Habgood said ahead of the vote.
The change
makes New Zealand the 13th nation globally to allow gay marriage, according to
Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Australia
rejected a similar proposal last September and the issue has prompted heated debate
in the United States since President Barack Obama made support for same-sex
unions a prominent part of his second-term agenda.
With
Britain and France both appearing set to adopt same-sex marriage soon, Wall
said a "global conversation" on gay rights was occurring, which
should prompt changes in nations such as Tonga and Samoa, where homosexuality
is still illegal.
Opinion was
divided on Cuba Street ahead of the vote.
"If
some people are allowed to do it, then all people should be allowed to do
it," Christina Hroch said "I haven't met anyone that would be against
it."
But Suzy
Prime was "totally opposed" to the change, raising concerns about the
impact on children raised in same-sex marriages.
"I
don't think there's a need for marriage," she said. "We already have
a law that they can be together with their civil rights. I don't have a problem
with that but I don't think it's right to go beyond that and allow
marriage."
New Zealand
decriminalised homosexuality in 1986 and since 2005 has allowed same-sex civil
unions.
HRW lists
the countries that currently allow same-sex marriage as The Netherlands,
Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden,
Denmark, Iceland and Uruguay, which changed the law this month.
 |
World gay
marriage map (AFP/Graphic)
|
Related Articles:
 |
New
Zealanders celebrate after the country became the first
in the Asia-Pacific
region to legalise same-sex marriage
after a decades-long campaign. Photograph:
AFP/Getty
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.