Kiwi rush as same-sex Aussies flock to wed
SYDNEY: Before they stand in front of a gathering of close family and friends to declare their love, Sydney couple Kate Duffy and Lisa Bowen must jet to New Zealand if they are to make it the ‘real deal’.
Duffy, 29, popped the question on the couple’s four-year anniversary during a champagne picnic on Sydney Harbour, asking Bowen, 34, for her hand in marriage on the last page of a photo album celebrating their relationship.
Same-sex marriage is not legal in Australia but Duffy, a solicitor, said she grew sick of waiting, with three family members dying and both her parents experiencing illness in recent years.
“A few years ago we discussed getting married and I said I didn’t want to do it until it was legal here, but I’ve obviously changed my mind,” she told AFP. “On reflection I just thought life’s too short to be waiting around when it’s something that you want to do.”
The couple set a date — November 23 — and were considering a trip to New York for a honeymoon to rubber-stamp their union when neighbouring New Zealand became the first Asia-Pacific country to legalise gay marriage last month. Instead of flying halfway across the world Duffy and Bowen now plan to take the three-hour trip across the Tasman Sea to make their lifelong commitment legal, before the major celebration they’ve labelled their ‘Sydney wedding’.
Some1,000samesex Australian coup les indicated that they planned to travel to New Zealand to marry in a recent survey conducted by lobby group Australian Marriage Equal ity (AME), which described the new laws as a ‘game- changer’ — despite the fact that such marriages are not legally recognised back home.
“It’s basically bringing marriage equality into our region, our part of the world for the fi rst time,” explained AME director Rodney Croome.
“We’re as close as two countries can be and when New Zealand beats us at something it’s very embarrassing. Australians don’t like to be beaten by New Zealand.”
Croome said the New Zealand vote had seen most Australian politicians change their perspective from denial of the issue to seeing reform as inevitable, with public support for change running at similar levels to that seen in New Zealand.
Tourism New Zealand ( TNZ) has already moved to capitalise on the demand, launching a rainbow-themed “100 percent Pure Choice” campaign on social media based on its famous “100 percent Pure” slogan.
It also plans to run a contest for would-be newlyweds with a luxury New Zealand wedding as the major prize.
“It really caught us by surprise, the overwhelmingly positive response from Australia,” said TNZ’s Australia general manger Tim Burgess. — AFP