Sat 16 May 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Lee Bransden and Sandra Yates marry at last "Stick that up you Tony Abbott" grinned Lee Bransden in a forceful message to their anti-same sex marriage Australian Prime Minister as she and fellow Australian Sandra Yates held their marriage certificate following a moving ceremony held in Rotorua. Photo: Bill Hedges The pair were pronounced 'husband and wife' in a forest glade to the accompaniment of rushing spring waters and evening birdsong. Earlier they had been welcomed into the Mitai Maori cultural experience centre by chanting warriors in a war canoe, which paddled up the stream to where the ceremony they could not legally have in their home country took place. Flanked by a wedding planner and Rotorua drag diva Miss Ma Ma Laid as Matron of Honour, the tearful pair exchanged gold wedding rings and spoke of love, support, commitment and belonging. Applause broke out from the small band of tourists, media and Mitai staff who witnessed the wedding. "It was just too expensive and such short notice for our friends to be able to come over here with us," Yates said. Her own parents are too frail to travel and Bransden has no family. Of their decision to be husband and wife, Bransden, 75, said it felt natural to be a husband as she has always felt that she was the provider and protector. "In fact I don't really think of myself as male or female, I'm just me." Yates, 57, agreed, saying "she has always taken care of me... I guess we're rather traditional." In New Zealand where same-sex marriage is legal they will both have the surname Bransden, "but because our home country doesn't recognise our union I may have to change my name by deed poll," Yates said. Photo: Bill Hedges The pair has spent two days seeing the sights and experiences of Rotorua, though not as much as had been planned due to Bransden's frailty as she battles the final stages of terminal cancer. They will relax for two more days with the expenses of their trip covered by a generously subscribed public fundraising campaign. "We invited the women here out of aroha, out of love," said Mitai manager Wetini Mitai-Ngatai. "We're all family no matter who or what we are. We should all just love each other."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 16th May 2015 - 5:39pm