Landmark day for New Zealand’s gay community

After months of controversy and debate the first day when civil unions became legal passed quietly yesterday, with just a handful of gay couples arriving at registry offices.

In Green Bay, 40-year-old real estate agent Steve Hay and his partner, Glenn Lewis, a 31-year-old hairdresser, had returned their completed form by mid-morning.

"I think it’s huge that we’ve been recognised in law. It gives legitimacy to something that was illegal 20 years ago," he said.

No law can legitimize an intrinsically evil and immoral act...Despite the capitulation of legislators and judges, what was illegal is still illegal and a gross violation of the natural law...

Catholic spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said there had been no special direction to priests to preach against civil unions but emphasised they would not conduct such ceremonies.

Onw would hope that a priest would not perform such a ceremony. One would also hope that such activity is loudly condemned as most serious offense against God.

Source.