WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand Parliament has approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage , bringing the bill one vote closer to becoming law. The Jurist.org reported that the bill was approved by a vote of 77-44, in the second of three votes needed to become law. The second vote is generally the most critical, with the third and final vote viewed as more of a formality.
The vote came after public pressure for the lawmakers to support same-sex marriage. The vote was widely attended by the public, who cheered after the bill was approved. Polls show that approximately two-thirds of the population support same-sex marriage. New Zealand already has civil union laws, which grant legal benefits for same-sex couples. The language of the bill only reflected minor changes from the original version passed by an 80-40 vote.
The third vote may be taken as early as April.
