News
New Zealand same-sex marriage law takes effect
31 gay couples to marry in South Pacific country on August 19

Rachel Briscoe and Jess Ivess and Richard Rawstorm and Richard Andrew married at the Rotorua Museum in Rotorua, New Zealand. (Photo by Bill Hedges)
Natasha Vitali and Melissa Ray, who won an all-expenses paid wedding through a local radio station, became the first same-sex couple in the South Pacific nation to legally marry when they exchanged vows at a church in Auckland, the country’s largest city, just before 9 a.m. local time (5 p.m. EST on Sunday.) “Modern Family” actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband, Justin Mikita, are among those who witnessed Lynley Bendall and Ally Wanikau exchange vows during a wedding that took place on an Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown to Auckland.
Tourism New Zealand sponsored the wedding of a gay Australian couple that took place in Wellington, the country’s capital.
“To be married at 30,000 feet beneath strings of fairy lights with our children, friends and family as witnesses makes an already memorable day that much more special,” Bendall, who has been with Wanikau for 13 years, said in an Air New Zealand press release.
Ferguson and Mikita congratulated the women before their wedding.
“Me and Justin Mikita are so excited to celebrate equality in [New Zealand] with Lynley and Ally at their wedding on [Air New Zealand,]” Ferguson said on his Twitter page.
A total of 31 same-sex couples are expected to marry in New Zealand on August 19.
Lesbian Parliamentarian Louisa Wall, who introduced the same-sex marriage bill that New Zealand lawmakers approved in April, attended Vitali and Ray’s wedding in Auckland.
“I feel very proud to have had my marriage equality bill pass through the New Zealand parliamentary process with support from across the House,” Wall told the Washington Blade. “Today we can celebrate the reality of our law change which allows any two people who love each other, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity to commit to one another in the institution of marriage.”
Jackie Russell-Green of the New Zealand Campaign for Marriage Equality also celebrated the gay nuptials law coming into effect.
“It’s a day that will be very special for all those who worked so hard to make marriage equality a reality,” she told the Blade.
New Zealand is among the 14 countries in which same-sex couples can legally marry.
13 states and D.C. and Mexico City have extended marriage rights to gays and lesbians.
Two gay men last month became the first legally recognized same-sex couple in Colombia when a judge in the country’s capital of Bogotá solemnized their relationship. Brazil’s National Council of Justice in May ruled registrars in the South American nation cannot deny marriage licenses to gays and lesbians.
The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales are expected to take place next spring after a gay nuptials bill received final approval in the British House of Lords in July.
“I hope those who have expressed opposition through the process are able to see how important this recognition of equality and human rights is to the family and friends of those who will marry and for the LGBTI community,” Wall told the Blade. “My hope is that the joy is contagious and shared by all New Zealanders.”
Hungary
New Hungarian prime minister takes office
Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.
Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.
The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.
Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.
“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”
“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”
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Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
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