GAY TRUTH

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage would not force celebrants to marry gay couples if they didn't want to, its sponsor says. But Conservative Party leader Colin Craig says the bill will not protect the rights of all celebrants who do not wish to marry same-sex couples. A select committee last month recommended changing the bill to make it clear that no celebrant recognised by a religious body or nominated by an approved organisation would have to marry a couple if it meant contravening their own or the organisation's beliefs. Critics say that would cover only about a third of celebrants and the rest, who are not linked to a religious organisation, will not be covered. Mr Craig told TVNZ 's Q+A programme today that the select committee had ignored advice to explicitly cover all celebrants. "At the moment, the proposed amendment only protects 32 per cent of celebrants. The other 68 you're hanging out to dry," he said. Mr Craig called on the Government to

A Legal Opinion obtained by Family First NZ from Barrister Ian Bassett has labeled the conscientious exemption proposed by the Select Committee Report on the same-sex marriage bill as 'unprincipled and wrong', 'misguided', 'unjustifiably discriminatory', and 'based upon flawed legal advice'. "The Report of the Government Administration Select Committee states: 'It is our intention that the passage of this bill should not impact negatively upon people's religious freedoms… The bill seeks to extend the legal right to marry to same-sex couples; it does not seek to interfere with people's religious freedoms.' Yet the Legal Opinion clearly explains that 'the advice of the Crown Law Office and the Ministry of Justice and the resultant recommendation of the Select Committee will interfere with people's rights to act according to their beliefs and conscience'", says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family Firs

A poll of New Zealanders has found that only 47% now believe that Parliament should change the definition of marriage, and 43% believe that civil unions are sufficient for same sex couples . The poll also found strong support for laws protecting celebrants, churches and schools if the law is still pushed through. Almost half of NZ 'ers believe there should be a Referendum on the issue. In the poll of 1,000 people undertaken by Curia Market Research this month, respondents were asked: "In 2004, Parliament legislated to allow same sex couples to register a civil union, amending over 150 pieces of legislation to give legal rights and recognition to same-sex couples. Do you think Parliament should change the definition of marriage to allow same-sex couples to marry, or do you think civil unions are sufficient for same sex couples?" Only 47% said that Parliament should change the definition of marriage to allow same-sex couples to marry and 43% said they believed

Family First survey shows turnaround in level of approval for same-sex couples marrying . The Family First lobby group has published a poll which finally concedes what all other polls in the past year have shown - that more New Zealanders now support gay marriage than oppose it. The poll of 1000 people by blogger David Farrar 's Curia Research has found 47 per cent think same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, against 43 per cent who think "civil unions are sufficient for same-sex couples". It comes as a select committee is due to report back to Parliament this Thursday on Labour MP Louisa Wall 's bill that would define marriage as "the union of two people regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity". The committee is expected to recommend amending the bill to clarify that celebrants in churches or other religious bodies would not have to marry gay couples if they believe it is wrong. But human rights law, which bans discriminat

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is likely to be amended to explicitly state that New Zealand churches would not be forced to marry same-sex couples. A NZ parliamentary select committee considering the legislation was flooded with submissions from religious groups who felt a law change would make it unlawful to turn away gay, lesbian or transgender couples who wanted to be married. The bill's sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall , has repeatedly said that she wanted churches to retain their freedom of religion and expression. She felt that the Marriage Act's provision that churches were authorised, but not obliged to marry people was sufficient protection, and noted that this stance had been reinforced by the Human Rights Commission . But differing legal opinions and growing uncertainty amid some religious groups has prompted the committee to consider a clarification in the bill. Masterton Baptist Church minister Scott Lelievre accentuated the concern of some Christian leader

Charles Chauvel and Grant Robertson at the Big Gay Out 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Family First NZ has released a legal opinion which calls into question the validity of the assurances given in Parliament during the 1st Reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill by the Bill’s author Louisa Wall , and also points out the legal incorrectness of statements made to a newspaper by Labour’s Shadow Attorney-General Charles Chauvel . An initial legal opinion (dated 27 Aug 2012) obtained by Family First NZ from Barrister Ian Bassett before the 1st Reading in Parliament stated that marriage celebrants (including church ministers) exercising their public function will be in breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and acting unlawfully if they refuse to perform their public function as marriage celebrants by reason of the same sex of a couple seeking to be married. On 29 August 2012 in Parliament during the 1st Reading of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, Lo

Same-sex marriage in New Zealand has become a near certainty after legislation to allow it passed its first reading in Parliament on Wednesday by 80 votes to 40. Labour MP Louisa Wall , who is sponsoring the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, says the legislation will not force church priests or ministers to conduct same-sex marriages. So why has the Bill attracted so much opposition from church leaders? Reporter Allison Rudd investigates. For Neill Ballantyne, who is gay and a Christian, the likelihood same-sex couples will be able to marry is something to be celebrated.New Zealand introduced civil union ceremonies in 2005 and since then 2152 couples - 1685 same-sex couples and 467 opposite-sex couples - have opted for civil unions. To all intents and purposes, civil unions are almost identical to marriage. But they are not marriage. Mr Ballantyne, the Otago University Students Association queer support officer and national secretary of the Student Christian Union of

A prominent Timaru priest has said he could never marry a gay couple. If he did, he feared he might face excommunication from the church. Sacred Heart Basilica parish priest Father Peter Costello was reacting to the news that Louisa Wall's Marriage Amendment Bill had passed its first reading in Parliament. Opinions have been divided over the consequences for clergy if the bill comes into law. Family First-commissioned expert Ian Bassett said earlier in the week that if passed into law, clergy who refused to marry same-sex couples could be criminalised. But the Human Rights Commission has said churches will still be allowed to refuse to marry anyone, including same-sex couples, without legal ramifications. Father Costello hopes he will be able to refuse gay marriages. "It is never a universal human right to be married," he said. "The [Catholic] church would say that love and friendship exist for everyone, but only the bond between a male and a female is recognised in

English: Roslyn Presbyterian Church, in Dunedin, New Zealand (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) A conservative group within New Zealand's Presbyterian Church has urged Parliamentarians to reject the same sex marriage bill next week, dismissing the views of other Presbyterians who support the bill as "isolated voices." Presbyterian AFFIRM today released a statement opposing same sex marriage, saying that the concept was "spiritually offensive to many Christian people , who still constitute a very significant proportion of this country's population and its voters ." Its spokesman Dr Stuart Lange said Affirm was a "widely supported conservative network" within the Presbyterian Church, although the Church as a whole had no formal position on the bill. The statement was issued after at least 12 Presbyterian ministers voiced support for the bill by co-signing a letter from 57 clergy of the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist Churches rejecting the Catholi

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is close to having the numbers to pass its first stage, despite an attempt by New Zealand First to derail it. A  Herald  poll of all 121 MPs found 54 of them intend to vote for Labour Party MP Louisa Wall 's private member's bill, which would redefine marriage as a union of two people, "regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity". It was expected to be decided by a conscience vote, and needs 61 votes to pass. But many MPs have refused to take a side on the contentious debate, and the final vote could be close. New Zealand First yesterday complicated the process, with leader Winston Peters suggesting the party might abstain from the first vote - expected to take place in late August. Mr Peters called for a referendum to be held on same-sex marriage. "Serious issues like this should be decided by the public of this country, and not a few temporary, empowered politicians." He would no