BEIJING â€" The words of the stately, popular New Zealand love song, Pokarekare Ana, swelled in New Zealand’s parliament on Wednesday evening, as spectators and members of Parliament joined in an emotional scene. Here’s an English translation of some of the Maori song:
“The waves are breaking against the shores of Waiapu,
My heart is aching for your return, my love.
Oh my beloved, come back to me, my heart is breaking for love of you.â€
Tears flowed, too. Minutes earlier, parliament had voted 77 to 44 to legalize same-sex marriage, making New Zealand the first Asian-Pacific nation and the 13th country in the world to do so.
There was frustration among some in neighboring Australia, where the prime minister, Julia Gillard, has refused to legalize it. Commentators predicted gay Australians may fly to New Zealand to marry. Steve Dow, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, said her stance was “nonsensical.â€
“In that traditional Maori song, they got it dead right: ‘I have written you a letter, and enclosed it with my ring / If your people should see it, then the trouble will begin.’ What, exactly, has Canberra got against happiness?†Mr. Dow wrote, referring to another verse of the traditional song.
This tweet portrayed the Australian government’s stance as behind the curve:
But there’s action on the issue elsewhere in Asia, in Vietnam, with the Thanh Nien News reporting last week the Vietnamese government had decided to scrap fines against same-sex couples who marry.
“The move comes as part of a larger wave of progress for gay rights champions†in Vietnam, reported the flagship publication of the Vietnam National Youth Federation.
Actual legalization of same sex marriage may take quite a bit longer; the scrapping came in response to storm of criticism from gay rights and other groups after the government proposed increasing fines on gay couples who marry between 200,000 and one million dong (about $10-48), the newspaper said.
Deputy minister of Justice Pham Quy Ty said it was no longer appropriate to fine homosexuals. But, “The absence [of the fine] doesn’t mean Vietnam recognizes same-sex marriages,†Ty was quoted by the Tuoi Tre newspaper as saying.
The Vietnamese government has been discussing legalizing same sex marriage since July last year but a vote on the issue in the National Assembly will be delayed until next year, Gay Star News reported in February.
Le Quang Binh, director of the Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment, said that may be a good thing.
“I think it’s not a bad thing to delay for one year,†Mr. Le told the newspaper. “We actually think it may be good because then we have more time to work with the national assembly and educate the population.â€
In February, Thailand held its first public hearing on introducing civil unions for same-sex couples, Gay Star News reported.
