Rainbow Wellington says a poll showing a majority of New Zealanders are in favour of same-sex marriage underlines the importance of keeping the pressure on politicians in power, all the time. The group is currently planning its election strategy and has already signalled a push for full gay marriage rights is among its priority issues. Research New Zealand has released the findings of a poll it conducted earlier this month which found 60 per cent of respondents 18 years and over believe that same sex marriages should be permitted in New Zealand, while 34 per cent are opposed. Two per cent state that there is little or no difference between civil unions and marriage, while a further two per cent do not know. Research New Zealand Director Emanuel Kalafatelis has stated the results show "attitudes in this area are in advance of legislation". Rainbow Wellington Chair Tony Simpson says this does not surprise him in the least, as he has noticed over many years in the political arena that suggestions for changes which upset significant numbers of people almost invariably lead to predictions of cataclysmic social disaster. "This then does not materialise and most people then shrug their shoulders and say: 'Well, it didn’t happen, it's not affecting me' and accept the change," he says. "What is disappointing is that the doomsayers never stand up and admit they were wrong. They simply move on to predicting some other disaster, or after a time start predicting the same disaster from a similar cause. "You'd think by now people would have wised up to them and/or that the mainstream media would stop giving them space." Simpson says the real problem is to get change initiated in the first place: "Not a single change to the legal status of glbti people has happened under the auspices of a main political party in this country. It has taken courageous individuals with Private Members’ Bills to get us decriminalisation, inclusion of sexual orientation in the Human Rights Act and civil unions. It looks as if the same thing is going to happen over same gender couple adoption and gay marriage," he says. "The only way is to ensure that we keep up the pressure on the politicians in power at all times. Rainbow Wellington is about to launch our election strategy accordingly." Prime Minister John Key is currently out of the country and unavailable for comment on where the Government stands on the issue of full gay marriage rights. Same-sex marriage is an "oxymoron", says Family First As Simpson warns against doomsayers, Christian lobby group Family First NZ has issued a press release disputing the Research New Zealand findings, saying a poll it commissioned in March suggests the exact opposite. "The Research NZ poll of just 500 people found that 60 per cent of those polled supported same-sex marriage. However, polling of 1,000 NZ’ers through independent research company Curia Market Research found greater support for maintaining the definition of marriage as a man and a woman," says National Director of Family First NZ Bob McCoskrie. "The Curia poll found 52 per cent of respondents support defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, with 42 per cent opposed and 6 per cent unsure or refusing to say. This is in direct contrast to the 60 per cent support for gay marriage argued by Research NZ." McCoskrie says the only similarity in the polls was that females were more in favour of same-sex marriage than males. "All this suggests that there is debate to be had on this issue and the politicians would do well to progress slowly on this issue rather than capitulate to strong lobbying to change the definition. At the end of the day, same sex couples have the option of civil unions to recognise their relationship so there is no need for redefining marriage," he says. "Same-sex marriage is, by definition, an oxymoron. Equality does not mean we must redefine marriage for everyone. Marriage encourages the raising of children by the mother and father who conceived them. Social science confirms that children who are raised by their own married mother and father are happier, healthier, and more prosperous than those raise in any other family structure," McCoskrie adds. "Marriage is not a religious belief. Almost every culture in every time and place has had some institution that resembles what we know as marriage, and it has always been associated with procreation. Every society needs natural marriage. "Gays and lesbians have a right to form meaningful relationships - they just don't have a right to redefine marriage." You can discuss this Gay New Zealand news story on the GayNZ.com forum
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 20th July 2011 - 11:38am