A week ago on April 10, Uruguay's General Assembly approved a same-sex marriage bill, which is awaiting the signature of the country's president. Jubilation erupted in the Chamber of Deputies upon the bill's passage by a vote of 71-21:
Also in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand's Parliament today approved same-sex marriage by a vote of 77 to 44, which was followed by a waiata from spectators in the galleries:
National Party MP Maurice Williamson made a humorous, kick-ass speech in favor of the bill:
The bill now awaits Royal Assent by the Governor-General, and is expected to become effective in August.
Uruguay and New Zealand are the second and third countries in the Southern Hemisphere to enact marriage equality nationwide, following South Africa, which legalized it in 2005. The total now stands at 13 countries with nationwide marriage equality, with France expected to join their ranks in the near future, and the United Kingdom as well. Over the weekend, a constitutional convention in the Republic of Ireland recommended that same-sex marriage be submitted to a public referendum there. Same-sex marriage is also legal in some parts of Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.
Comments are welcome, but please note: this is not a public forum but my personal blog, which nobody is forced to read. You don't like what I write, go find a blog you do like; there are millions of others to choose from. Or write your own.
Polite disagreement is one thing, but rudeness will be deleted without hesitation.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome, but please note: this is not a public forum but my personal blog, which nobody is forced to read. You don't like what I write, go find a blog you do like; there are millions of others to choose from. Or write your own.
Polite disagreement is one thing, but rudeness will be deleted without hesitation.