New Zealand lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly cast a first vote in favor of a gay marriage law that was given impetus by President Barack Obama’s public support of the issue.The 80 to 40 vote in front of a packed and cheering public gallery was the first of three votes Parliament must take before the bill can become law, a process that typically takes several months and allows the public to weigh in. Only a simple majority was needed to ensure a second vote, and the margin is a strong indication that the law will be passed.Should New Zealand pass the measure into law, it would become the 12th country since 2001 to recognize same-sex marriages. Some states in the U.S. also recognize such marriages, but the federal government does not.~The proposed changes here can be directly traced back to Obama’s declaration in May in support of gay marriage. That prompted center-right Prime Minister John Key to break his long silence on the issue by saying he was “not personally opposed” to the idea. Then lawmaker Louisa Wall, from the opposition Labour Party, put forward a bill she had previously drafted.“If I’m really honest, I think the catalyst was around Obama’s announcement, and then obviously our prime minister came out very early in support, as did the leader of my party, David Shearer,” Wall told The Associated Press. “The timing was right.”
On a side note, it is particularly interesting that some credit is going to President Barack Obama's endorsement of marriage equality. It goes to show how much of an inspiration he is not only here in America, but abroad as well. Does anyone truly think the Mitt Romney could fill those shoes?
No comments:
Post a Comment