Logie Jan: Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Logie Jan: Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 13 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8540. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JAN LOGIE (Green) 
: 
 I am proud to stand here today as a Green voice in support of my impressive colleague Louisa Wall’s bill for marriage equality the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill. The Green Party is voting en bloc in support of this bill because for us it is a human rights issue and there is no matter of conscience when it comes to rights and equality under the law. For us even if the majority of New Zealand was opposed to this bill we would still support it because we understand that human rights exist to protect the minority from the majority and that is what this bill does. I would like to acknowledge my colleague Kevin Hague who has worked so hard for us on behalf of the Greens on this kaupapa and to everyone else who sat on the Government Administration Committee. I know that hearing the stories of pain and injury caused by discrimination can be really hard so I honour you for that work. I would like to then acknowledge everyone—and many of you I know are here tonight—who shared your personal stories with the committee with this House and in this process to help us make the right decision tonight. I really hope that your stories guide our votes. 
And I hope that for the really beautiful young queer people some of whom I also know are here tonight whom I met a few months ago and who told me that they would cry if Parliament ever had a queer-straight alliance I hope they are going to cry tonight because I hope this is going to be an example of a queer-straight alliance standing up for all of our rights. And so far I have been so encouraged by how much progress we have made in this debate and to see that 7 years on from the debate around civil unions eight out of nine political party leaders are supporting this bill. I do believe as a country we are making progress. 
One of the reasons I support this bill is for my mum and dad. When I came out my parents really struggled. They did not and they do not live in the lovely liberal bubble that I do in Wellington. They do not have my beautiful community to tell them that my identity and by association they and their identity are OK. They have worried. They have worried for me and they have at times worried about how people would judge them. So I want my parents to know that society has moved on and that there is less chance now that I or they will be judged for my sexuality. 
But most important I think for me I want those people who have been bullying our young queer and trans people to know that as a society we have ended legal discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and we have taken one more step towards ending discrimination on the basis of gender identity. We have moved on and they are now well and truly out of step. Although I have no desire to marry even if someone was asking I do want the possibility for my friends and others who want to to do so. I want to see that equality in our law. Civil unions are not equality. People who are not told they cannot marry cannot tell us that that is equality. Civil unions are a compromise. They tell us and the rest of society that there is something intrinsically different about our emotions and our relationships. Although I absolutely celebrate difference even after reading all the submissions and all the emails that tell me otherwise I still do not believe that our love is essentially different. 
The day before the first reading a friend celebrated 5 years together with her partner. She has a house with her partner they parent a child together and they share their lives together. That day they marched for marriage equality together because their relationship is just as valid as any heterosexual couple’s. Although I definitely believe that that is true without this law I want them to know that this Parliament also thinks that is true. I want them to be assured that we see their relationship as intrinsically the same as that between a loving man and woman. I want them and their little one to know that this society does not discriminate on the basis of sexuality and one day entirely not on the basis of gender identity. And I want someone who is married and then transitions in their gender and who is then married to somebody of the same gender not to have to divorce their partner as they have to do now. And I want heterosexual friends like my colleague Holly Walker to be able to marry in good conscience knowing that her gay friends can too—if that is what she wants to do. 
Marriage has changed over time mostly for the better and now it just needs this change to reflect our current social norm. I am pleased the Greens and so many of us in this Parliament recognise this issue for what it is: an issue of rights and an opportunity to legislate for the possibility of a society without discrimination. Kia ora.