New Zealand became the 13th country in the world and the first in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage today as lawmakers voted 77 to 44 in favor of the gay-marriage bill on its third and final reading.
Since 2005, New Zealand has allowed civil unions, which confer many legal rights to gay couples. The new law will allow gay couples to jointly adopt children for the first time and will also allow their marriages to be recognized in other countries. The law will take effect in late August.
Plan your honeymoon in New Zealand with our feature travel article on gay-friendly hotspots, hotels, restaurants and activities. —
Photo: Melissa Varnadoe
