Would any of the politicians who opposed the marriage equality bill have voted differently if it had passed today? Greta Yeoman asked them. Just over five years ago, New Zealand politicians voted 77-44 to legalise gay marriage, making this country the 13th in the world to do so. Of the 44 politicians who voted against Read more
Posts Tagged ‘same gender marriage’
Marriage celebrants declining same gender couples will be deregistered
Thursday, June 28th, 2018The Celebrants Association of NZ has told celebrants in their latest newsletter that “Independent Marriage Celebrants who refuse to marry couples because they are the same gender, will lose their registration.” read more
Marriage celebrant applicants rejected for refusal officiate at same gender weddings
Monday, April 30th, 2018Forty-seven marriage celebrant applications have been rejected in the past two-and-a-half years because the applicants were unwilling to officiate same-gender weddings. Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages Jeff Montgomery said it was important to distinguish between organised celebrants and independent celebrants. Continue reading
Catholic church has no moral authority to oppose same-gender marriage
Monday, October 2nd, 2017
Louisa Wall, the Labour member of parliament for Manurewa in New Zealand, says the Catholic Church should stay out of the current Australian discussion about same-gender marriage because it lacks moral authority. She told the BuzzFeed political podcast Is It On? she is perplexed by the prominent role of the Catholic Church and its leaders in Read more
Australia’s PM believes in religious freedom more strongly than in same-gender marriage
Monday, September 18th, 2017
“As strongly as I believe in the right of same-sex couples to marry, even more strongly do I believe in religious freedom,” says Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. A supporter of same-gender marriage, Turnbull defended the right of a church to refuse to marry a young couple who had posted support for same-sex unions on social media. He Read more
Anglican’s sexuality working group publishes interim report
Monday, August 7th, 2017A working group set up explore how different strands of thinking on sexuality could be kept together in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has published its interim report. In their interim report, the working group recommends that there should be “no alteration to the formularies of this Church” and that dioceses Read more
English explains his stance morality and government
Monday, July 10th, 2017
The Prime Minister Bill English says that “if you’re looking to the Government to be the arbiter of morality, you are going to be constantly, consistently disappointed.” He believes what drives constructive social behaviour “is our families, our iwi, our churches, our communities.” English was the guest at Family First’s 10th annual “Forum on the Read more
Marriage Celebrants Rejected For Personal Beliefs
Thursday, February 23rd, 2017Family First NZ says that people applying to be marriage celebrants are having their applications rejected if they do not want to officiate at same-sex ‘weddings’ due to their personal beliefs or convictions, despite assurances by politicians that this would not occur. In response to a request by Family First NZ to the Department of Read more
CEDAW ratification dividing the nation says Tonga’s PM
Monday, February 20th, 2017
Tonga’s Prime Minister says the ratification of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has divided the nation. Mr ‘Akilisi Pohiva said local women’s groups would again be asked to carry out public consultations. Tonga has been preparing to ratify the convention since 2015. Last year Pohiva said the Read more
Fiji InterFaith group discuss same gender marriage
Tuesday, December 13th, 2016
A variety of opinions on the topic of same gender marriage were expressed at a meeting of InterFaith Search Fiji in Suva on Saturday. Speakers talked about ways of accepting members of the LGBITQ community. Reverend Anil Reuben of the Methodist Church said many people in same gender marriage had slowly dropped out of the Read more