Hundreds of jubilant gay-rights advocates celebrated at New Zealand’s parliament today as the country became the 13th in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. The Huffington Post reported that lawmakers voted 77 to 44 in favor of the gay-marriage bill on its third and final reading.
“In our society, the meaning of marriage is universal – it’s a declaration of love and commitment to a special person,” said Louisa Wall, the bill’s sponsor. “Nothing could make me more proud to be a New Zealander than passing this bill.”
Since 2005, New Zealand has allowed civil unions, which provide some legal rights to gay couples. The new law will allow gay couples to jointly adopt children for the first time and will also allow their marriages to be recognized in other countries. The law takes effect in late August.
The change was given impetus last May when U.S. President Barack Obama declared his support for gay marriage. That prompted Prime Minister John Key to break his silence on the issue by saying he was “not personally opposed” to the idea. Wall then put forward the bill, which she had previously drafted.
Same-sex marriage is recognized in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina and Denmark. Lawmakers in Uruguay approved a law last week that President Jose Mujica is expected to sign. Nine states in the U.S. also recognize such marriages, but the federal government does not.
