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New Zealand Lawmakers Pass Marriage Equality, Break Into Song

Queer women love New Zealand. Lucy Lawless? Kiwi. Anna Paquin? Kiwi. Anika Moa? Kiwi. Topp Twins? Kiwi. Alison Mau? Australian, actually, but she got engaged in New Zealand to her Kiwi girlfriend. Last night New Zealand gave us another reason to love it. After a two-hour Parliamentary debate, and a 77 to 44 vote, it became the 13th country to legalize same-sex marriage at the national level. And then they spontaneously broke into song, because of course they did, because New Zealanders are the best. They sang “Pokarekare Ana,” which is a traditional love song composed in the indigenous Maori language.

You can watch news footage of the unbelievably moving impromptu celebration, but have a tissue handy because you’re probably going to spontaneously burst into tears.

New Zealand follows Uruguay and France, both of which recently legalized same-sex marriage.

Louisa Wall, the Labour Party MP who introduced the legislation, told BBC News: “In our society, the meaning of marriage is universal – it’s a declaration of love and commitment to a special person. Nothing could make me more proud to be a New Zealander than passing this bill.” And then she posed in front of this giant Gay Pride flag and put every American Congressperson in to shame.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch that video one more time and sob my eyes out.

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