• UK government commits to gay marriage before 2015
    51 replies, posted
• The UK government has publicly committed to introducing same-sex marriages in England and Wales before the next election in 2015. The Scottish government has previously implied it has similar plans. • The UK already has equal-rights civil partnerships for same-sex couples, and the government is planning to lift the ban on religious ceremonies for civil partnerships in January. • It is still uncertain what will become of civil partnerships after gay marriage is introduced; some have called for them to be opened up to same-sex couples, as an alternative to marriage. [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14960357[/url] [quote=BBC News][b]The government has said it is committed to changing the law in England and Wales to allow gay marriage by 2015.[/b] Ministers are to launch a consultation next spring on how to open up civil marriage to same-sex couples ahead of the next general election. Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone told the Lib Dem autumn conference that current laws were "simply not fair". The leadership of both coalition parties back the move but it is likely to anger some Conservative activists. And gay rights campaigners have urged the government to act immediately, saying existing laws are discriminatory and a consultation is unnecessary. At the moment, only men and women are permitted to get married while civil partnerships, which became law in 2005, are limited to same-sex couples. [b]'Not complacent'[/b] Civil partnerships give same-sex couples the right to the same legal treatment across a range of matters as married couples but the law does not allow such unions to be referred to as marriages. Ms Featherstone told Lib Dem activists that a public consultation will begin in March 2012 with a view to changing the law ahead of the next general election scheduled for May 2015. "Britain must not be complacent," she said. "We are a world leader for gay rights but there is still more we must do." While civil partnerships were a "welcome first step", she said the party was committed to confronting "prejudice and discrimination in all its forms". Heralding the proposed change as a Lib Dem policy, she added: "To deny one group of people the same opportunities available to another is not simply discriminatory. It is simply not fair." [b]Listening[/b] Ministers have said the government is determined to listen to "all those who have an interest in the area to understand their views". However, the consultation will not consider whether to allow same-sex couples to have religious marriages or to open up civil partnerships to men and women. The Lib Dems have long campaigned for reform of the marriage laws, arguing that they are outdated and discriminate against same-sex couples. Conservative leader David Cameron backed the move while in opposition as part of his modernising drive and the pledge to permit equal marriage was included in the party's 2010 election manifesto. However, some Conservative MPs and activists are likely to be uncomfortable with the move. And veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the government had delayed the consultation - which campaigners had expected to start last June. [b]Court challenge[/b] "I am not convinced that there needs to be any consultation at all," he said. "The ban on same-sex marriage is homophobic discrimination and should be repealed." And he said same-sex couples should be allowed to wed in churches and other religious buildings, arguing that some faith organisations had expressly asked to be able to conduct same-sex ceremonies. He added: "It is an insult to people of faith for the equality minister to rule out any repeal of the ban on religious organisations conducting same-sex marriages." For Labour, Yvette Cooper said the party would "keep the pressure on this government to enact measures like this". But she accused the government of having "said one thing on equality and done another - including dragging their feet on civil partnerships on religious premises". "So we will have to see whether this amounts to a real commitment or just an announcement for Lib Dem party conference that will not be implemented in this Parliament." New rules set to come into force early next year will allow religious premises to hold civil partnership ceremonies. The move is voluntary and religious organisations will not be obliged to do so. A group of British couples are challenging the existing ban on gay marriages and heterosexual civil partnerships and plan to take the case to the European Court of Justice. New York became the largest US state to date to legalise gay marriage earlier this year. Same-sex marriage is legal in six states and Washington DC.[/quote]
Nice, maybe the rest of humanity will learn to accept different people.
I was going to say a gay joke butt fuck it
They might be corrupt, self-serving and incompetent but they do actually place human rights before the phony wishes of a false deity. Something good's gotta be said for a majorly secular country.
You mean it's not legal in the UK either? Jesus, first Aussieland and then the UK? I always though both were way more left than Canada, and we've had gay marriage for... Christ it's gotta be over a decade now.
the UK still has a long way to go with gay people: [url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/01/equality.gayrights[/url] hard to imagine considering public treasure stephen fry is also gay
I would've wished for it to be legal, you know, more quickly than in four years. But this is great progress, good to know not everyone has their heads in their asses these days.
I have a gay friend who opposes this :v:
[QUOTE=Time Itself;32416683]I would've wished for it to be legal, you know, more quickly than in four years. But this is great progress, good to know not everyone has their heads in their asses these days.[/QUOTE] technically gay marriage has been legal in the UK for years, it was just under the term civil partnership, which seemed a bit pointless considering it was virtually identical to marriage.
Good to know people around the world are realising repressing basic human rights is not a good thing.
[QUOTE=DaCommie1;32416590]You mean it's not legal in the UK either? Jesus, first Aussieland and then the UK? I always though both were way more left than Canada, and we've had gay marriage for... Christ it's gotta be over a decade now.[/QUOTE] Gay marriage is only illegal here by technicality (I assume to keep the churches happy at the time). People can enter in a civil partnership which afaik has almost the exact same rights as a marriage just without the word marriage.
[QUOTE=DaCommie1;32416590]You mean it's not legal in the UK either? Jesus, first Aussieland and then the UK? I always though both were way more left than Canada, and we've had gay marriage for... Christ it's gotta be over a decade now.[/QUOTE] I don't know about Australia, but if I remember correctly the North American LGBT lobby rejects civil partnerships as an insult and a "separate but equal" thing? Over here there that isn't as much of an issue so our government just whipped out civil partnerships and went "Done! What's next?" and it was pretty much forgotten about [editline]21st September 2011[/editline] Which I guess is why the Americans reject them :v:
[QUOTE=The mouse;32416737]I have a gay friend who opposes this :v:[/QUOTE] Those darn Self Loathing Gay People.
Truthfully, it should have been done already and there's no real need to wait, but at least it's publicly supporting it.
I read thread title as meaning they were committed to banning it by 2015 jesus
Who are they getting married to?
Nah, not france, we're just friends. But Hollands been giving us the bedroom eyes. We might have a go.
oops didnt read Woo go UK
maybe the states will follow. Highly doubt it though. Old farts in office are a bunch of homophobic rich pricks.
Well, it's good that the option's there. Score one for freedom, fire off another Howitzer in the general direction of the bigots.
I'm so happy to hear this.
No No No, I'm going to offend alot of people by saying this, its just my opinion. Studies show that a gay couples "children" are 3 times more likely to commit suicide. in my opinion it should be allowed but not openly accepted.
[QUOTE=skeligandrew;32425705]No No No, I'm going to offend alot of people by saying this, its just my opinion. Studies show that a gay couples "children" are 3 times more likely to commit suicide. in my opinion it should be allowed but not openly accepted.[/QUOTE] [citation needed]
Studies also show that 90% of facts are bullshit unless they have a credible source.
[QUOTE=skeligandrew;32425705]No No No, I'm going to offend alot of people by saying this, its just my opinion. Studies show that a gay couples "children" are 3 times more likely to commit suicide. in my opinion it should be allowed but not openly accepted.[/QUOTE] I had to look this up to assess its validity and the first relevant link I got was from AboveTopSecret.com. A forum with "interesting" people with a lot of questionable ideas, backed up by equally if not more questionable 'evidence'. And the poster was citing a Catholic news website as a source. Say no more.
[QUOTE=RainbowStalin;32426076]Studies also show that 90% of facts are bullshit unless they have a credible source.[/QUOTE] A 1989 U.S. government study found that LGBT youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people.[6] This finding was supported by a 2001 study that found LGBT adolescents 2.3-2.5 times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers.[7] from [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_suicide_in_the_United_States#Sex_ratio[/url] [editline]22nd September 2011[/editline] [url]http://www.drtraycehansen.com/Pages/writings_sexpref.html[/url] thats an even better source if you ask me.
Even if that were true, why is that reason to not accept gay marriage? Higher suicide rates would most likely be linked to increased discrimination. Which you're pretty much encouraging with your suggestion of not openly encouraging gay marriage. [editline]22nd September 2011[/editline] It's about time we committed to legalising gay marriage though. While other countries seem to be slipping backwards I hope we continue to make progress in these areas.
You are entitled to your own opinions But me? I'll be missing the days when a man was a man, not some excuse for a man who sounds like a woman. Homosexuality is essentially as degenerate as incest. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Trolling/stupid" - GunFox))[/highlight]
Is this so that the prime minister can finally marry the president of america instead of the UK just sucking up the USA's arse up until now
[QUOTE=skeligandrew;32426219]You are entitled to your own opinions But me? I'll be missing the days when a man was a man, not some excuse for a man who sounds like a woman. Homosexuality is essentially as degenerate as incest.[/QUOTE] Ahaha, this is either trolling or blatant ignorance. Either way, I'm glad the people who make the decisions seem to be making some good ones along the way. It's not all bad.
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