Lesbians continue to be more likely than gay men to enter into civil unions, with 168 female couples getting hitched in 2009 compared to 124 male couples. There were a total of 370 civil unions last year, 244 of which were same-sex. The overall numbers have dipped slightly from slight surges in 2006 and 2008, but remain relatively steady. When civil unions were legalised in 2005, there was just one more lesbian knot-tying ceremony than gay male. However the women have easily outstripped their male counterparts in heading down the aisle in the years since. In 2009 there were more unions between male couples from overseas, with 27, compared to 21 for female couples. Same-sex couples who have civil unions are, on average, about seven years older than straight couples. The average age for gay men was 40, while for women it was 39. Thirty seven percent of lesbians who have taken new vows were previously married, compared with 21 percent of men. In 29 percent of civil unions, one or both of the partners were previously married. Statistics New Zealand says because civil union registrations are relatively new, the current characteristics may not reflect long-term trends.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 6th May 2010 - 9:12am