same-sex marriage | Mama Cormier

…..a great video that Dorothy from Scotland shared with me this week

Dorothy from Jings and Things sent me an email this week with the link to this video. It looks like Scotland, in the very near future, will be joining the ever growing number of countries in the world that recognizes same sex marriages. Earlier this week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that legally married same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples and cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California. We can only hope that the remaining 37 states will give same sex couples the same rights.

A few months ago I shared with you the video of New Zealand’s parliament passing the bill that recognizes same sex marriages and how the visitor’s gallery erupted spontaneously into song.

…..13th country worldwide to legalize same-sex marriages

As a mother of a gay child and a friend to numerous gay couples, I am always saddened by individual people, organizations, political groups and religious orders that are threatened by the happiness of the LGBT community. So many of these homophobic groups feel that the institution of marriage will be threatened if same-sex marriage is legalized.

Same-sex marriage was legally recognized in Ontario in 2003 and the first same-sex marriage in the world took place in Toronto in January of 2001. Today New Zealand was the 13th country in the world and the first Asian-Pacific country to legally recognize same-sex marriage.

MP, Maurice Williamson presented an impassioned speech supporting the passage of the bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in New Zealand. In his words, “All we are doing with this bill is allowing two people who love each other to have that love recognized by way of marriage,” he said. “We are not declaring nuclear war on a foreign state; we are not bringing a virus in that could wipe out our agriculture sector forever.” Bravo! Well said, Mr. Williamson.

The bill was passed with a vote count of 77 in favour and 44 against. After the victory the spectators in the public gallery broke out in spontaneous song supporting the bill’s sponsor, MP Louisa Wall. The song was Pokarekare Ana, a love song in the country’s indigenous Maori language. Have a listen. It brought tears of joy to my eyes.

I am NOT interested in hearing from people who cannot rejoice in this victory. I will NOT use this post as a platform for groups who want to use passages from the Bible, Quran, or other religious or sacred documents to vilify any group of people that they choose to discriminate against. Peace be with you.