New legislation which looks set to be passed in Sweden early next year will allow gays to marry in the Lutheran Church, and Auckland lawyer George Ireland says given the New Zealand government's track record it is more than likely a similar arrangement will be introduced. Currently gay or lesbian New Zealanders can have civil unions but are not able to get married within a major church. Ireland says it is a question of human rights and although many don't want a church marriage, those who do are disappointed, reports Newstalk ZB. Ireland says while many gay New Zealanders support civil unions, some still see it as a second-class option. Destiny Church spokesman Richard Lewis says stable marriages are the foundation for raising children, but he wouldn't be surprised to see the Labour Party take a leaf out of Sweden's book and push for same-sex marriage being introduced legally. Lewis says it has only been three years since New Zealand became world famous for pushing through the fastest civil union laws in the world. Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, looks set to introduce a new marriage law in January. If the gender neutral marriage legislation is adopted, the Scandinavian country would become the first in the world to allow gays to marry within a major church. Ref: Newstalk ZB (m)