Story: Marriage and partnering

Civil unions: Mike and Tracy Peters (1st of 2)

Colour photo of happy couple

Mike and Tracy Peters were the first heterosexual couple to be joined in a civil union in New Zealand. They had avoided marrying for a number of reasons. As atheists, they felt that marriage had religious overtones. Politically, they were opposed to links between the state and church, and to the exclusion of gay and lesbian couples. But they were delighted to be formally recognised as each other’s ‘nearest and dearest’, particularly in case of accident or illness. ‘If anything happens to Mike, I’ll be the first person the authorities will call, and vice versa,’ said Tracy.

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New Zealand Herald
Reference: 290405NZHSBCIVILUNION2.JPG
Photograph by Simon Baker

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How to cite this page:

Megan Cook, 'Marriage and partnering - Loosening rules, expanding choices: partnering from the late 1960s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/30792/civil-unions-mike-and-tracy-peters (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Megan Cook, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 May 2017