New Zealand Parliament Legalizes Gay Marriage [VIDEOS] Spectators Break Into Love Song, MP's Touching Bill Defense Speech

Yesterday, the Parliament of New Zealand passed a bill that legalizes same sex marriage. This makes New Zealand the thirteenth nation to pass marriage equality. Though this is a great story in itself, the hearing produced two great viral videos for the Internet. Parliament member Maurice Williamson gave what Gawker called "a speech for the ages" in defense of the marriage equality bill. Also, after the bill was passed, the spectators that day broke into a love song for the bill's sponsor, Louisa Wall (who happens to be a lesbian).

In this first video, we see Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson giving his humorous and touching speech during the New Zealand Parliament's third marriage equality bill reading. Starting right off with a few jokes, Williamson's speech might have seemed like a fun way to address a serious issue, but he does get to the brass tax. In his speech he says,

"I've had a reverend in my local electorate say, 'The gay onslaught will start the day this law is passed' Well, we are struggling to know what the gay onslaught will look like. We don't know whether it will come down the Pakuranga Highway as a series of troops or whether it will be a gas that flows in over the electorate that blocks us all in."

He continued: "I also had a Catholic priest tell me I was supporting an unnatural act. I found that quite interesting coming from someone who has taken an oath of celibacy for his whole life. I haven't done it so I don't know what it's about."

He then got to the more serious issue, saying, "All we are doing with this bill is allowing two people who love each other to have that love recognised by way of marriage"

"We are not declaring nuclear war on a foreign state; we are not bringing a virus in that could wipe out our agriculture sector forever," he told parliament.

The next video shows the passing of the bill, which gets a rousing applause and then something a little unexpected happens. As the crowd's applause dies down, the spectators start singing "Pokarekare Ana," a love song in the country's indigenous Maori language. As you can see, the sponsor of the bill, Louisa Wall gets congratulated throughout the video as she thanks the singers for the song. Try not to tear up!