Nick Clegg calls opponents of gay marriage "bigots", retracts statement, becomes world's first inver
31 replies, posted
[quote]Nick Clegg has withdrawn comments about opponents of gay marriage in which he called them "bigots".
The deputy PM was expected to launch an attack on those against the policy - which include some Tory MPs - in a speech at a reception later.
But the wording of extracts released to the media has been changed.
Sources close to Mr Clegg said the "bigot" claim was "a mistake" in an early draft of the speech which should not have been released to the press.
But Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said the remarks were "very offensive".
"If he persists in taking that view I and others would be very offended, he said.
"To be called a bigot is a very offensive statement and I would ask him to recall it...because there are issues here that demand very serious debate."
Words removed
Sources close to Mr Clegg said he chose to withdraw the accusation because he feared using the word "bigot" would dominate the debate on gay marriage.
Extracts released early by officials said: "Continued trouble in the economy gives the bigots a stick to beat us with, as they demand we 'postpone' the equalities agenda in order to deal with 'the things people really care about'."
Within an hour aides had corrected the text, which said: "Continued trouble in the economy leads some people to demand we 'postpone' the equalities agenda in order to deal with 'the things people really care about'."
A spokesman for the deputy PM said: "This was not something the deputy prime minister has said. It is not something he was ever going to say, because it is not something that he believes.
"It was removed from the draft copy, that should never have been sent out, for that very reason."
Mr Clegg is due to hail the progress of a consultation on the proposals at a reception event in central London, attended by celebrity campaigners and religious figures.
The BBC's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said the remarks were likely to "incense" many Conservative MPs.
'Not fit and proper'
Conservative MP Peter Bone - who has repeatedly called for the coalition to be broken up - said if Mr Clegg believed what was said in the original draft of the speech, he was not a "fit and proper person to be deputy prime minister".
"Nick Clegg has got to explain himself and apologise very rapidly," he told the BBC News Channel.
"This is not the way the deputy prime minister behaves."
The campaign group Coalition for Marriage, which opposes any change to the law, [B]described the remarks as "intolerant".[/B]
[B]"It also shows his contempt for the millions of ordinary men and women in this country who oppose the politically correct drive to rip up the centuries old definition of marriage," its campaign director Colin Hart said.[/B]
But gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said Mr Clegg "should not be afraid" to raise the issue of prejudice within the context of the debate on gay marriage.
"It is pretty clear that some people oppose marriage rights for gay people because of deep-seated homophobic bigotry," he said.
Consultation
Since 2005, same-sex couples have been able to enter into civil partnerships, which confer broadly similar rights and responsibilities to married couples.
However, at the moment, only a man and a woman can be legally married.
The UK government has completed a consultation on proposals that could see gay marriage being legalised in England and Wales and enable existing civil partners to "convert" into a civil marriage.
Under the proposals, religious organisations would not be obliged to conduct same-sex marriages in their places of worship and there would be no change to how religious marriages are solemnized.
[B]Prime Minister David Cameron, Mr Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband are all in favour of the change but the Church of England and other religious organisations have expressed serious concerns about its impact on the institution of marriage and the role of the Church in society.[/B]
The Scottish government has said it will seek to legislate to introduce gay marriage by 2015, which has sparked a fierce row with the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland.[/quote]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19555757[/url]
hardly the first invertebrate politician.
What a bigot.
:v:
Nick Clegg and Mitt Romney should have a same-sex relationship.
-snip-
Bad reading here.
[quote]"To be called a bigot is a very offensive statement and I would ask him to recall it...because there are issues here that demand very serious debate."[/quote]
Fuck you; if you're against gay marrige, you don't get to take the moral high ground.
[quote]But Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said the remarks were "very offensive".
"If he persists in taking that view I and others would be very offended, he said.
"To be called a bigot is a very offensive statement and I would ask him to recall it...."[/quote]
dis nigga serious
[quote]the Church of England and other religious organisations have expressed serious concerns about its impact on the institution of marriage and [b]the role of the Church in society.[/b][/quote]
what does that even mean
"IF YOU STOP US FROM OPPRESSING PEOPLE WE WON'T HAVE A ROLE IN SOCIETY! :("
Nick Clegg has ruined the LibDems, they won't be coming anywhere near power again after this election for a very very long time.
[QUOTE]"To be called a bigot is a very offensive statement and I would ask him to recall it...because there are issues here that demand very serious debate."[/QUOTE]
I think its quite fair. What they are doing is offensive.
Depends, if you're talking about people being opposed to civil unions then fair enough.
But shouldn't a church sanctioned marriage be a church matter.
Clegg why are you so bad at everything.
Fucking seriously its not even funny anymore, just retire or flee the country or something.
I honestly don't think anyone's in a position to call any other person a bigot. Truth is, we're all fucking bigots somewhere and throwing the word around because someone doesn't agree with your ideology, viewpoint or opinion is incredibly stupid, irrational, and doesn't solve jack shit.
Stay classy, Clegg the Smeg.
I'm gay and opposed to gay marriage ,though because I think marriage as an institution is stupid unto itself, not because I'm some moral or religious "bigot".
[QUOTE=Doneeh;37630596]I honestly don't think anyone's in a position to call any other person a bigot. Truth is, we're all fucking bigots somewhere and throwing the word around because someone doesn't agree with your ideology, viewpoint or opinion is incredibly stupid, irrational, and doesn't solve jack shit.[/QUOTE]
but they're morally stupid
[editline]11th September 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=zombieslaya;37630598]I'm gay and opposed to gay marriage ,though because I think marriage as an institution is stupid unto itself, not because I'm some moral or religious "bigot".[/QUOTE]
so you'd deny all other gay people the right to marry just because you personally don't like it?
We only need to figure out if he's a slug or a worm, now.
maybe we can name the next slug or worm species we discover after him.
The Clegg.
[QUOTE=Doneeh;37630596]I honestly don't think anyone's in a position to call any other person a bigot. Truth is, we're all fucking bigots somewhere and throwing the word around because someone doesn't agree with your ideology, viewpoint or opinion is incredibly stupid, irrational, and doesn't solve jack shit.[/QUOTE]
except denying others' rights because you believe that your form of marriage is supreme is, by definition, bigoted. it's not an insult, it's the truth
But they are bigots.
At this point I'd shrug and add it back in.
This man has less backbone than a jellyfish. You could run a car over him and hear nothing snap.
[quote]"To be called a bigot is a very offensive statement and I would ask him to recall it...because there are issues here that demand very serious debate."[/quote]
fuck off
if you continue to oppress people you deserve to be offended
Clegg is such a spineless fool.
[QUOTE=Itachi_Crow;37630636]maybe we can name the next slug or worm species we discover after him.
The Clegg.[/QUOTE]
Shit it even DOES sound like some sort of slug or worm.
That should happen.
you fucking milquetoast, clegg. you were in the right, stick with your remarks
I'd like to imagine I have way more spine than that kinda guy; after all he's likely the reason why the Coalition is an absolute joke run by Tories, with Lib Dem influence seeming to be very small like Clegg's testicles.
If I call someone out as a bigot, i'd stand by that belief and statement, and if I receive a black eye or bloodied nose for my truthful statement, i'd wear those as marks of honour for standing up against a massive cunt, even though some would consider avoiding such an injury to be optimal; personally I think it's just a flesh wound, and flesh wounds aren't nearly half as serious as the reputational shame of having no spine or balls.
[QUOTE=ironman17;37630856]I'd like to imagine I have way more spine than that kinda guy; after all he's likely the reason why the Coalition is an absolute joke run by Tories, with Lib Dem influence seeming to be very small like Clegg's testicles.
If I call someone out as a bigot, i'd stand by that belief and statement, and if I receive a black eye or bloodied nose for my truthful statement, i'd wear those as marks of honour for standing up against a massive cunt, even though some would consider avoiding such an injury to be optimal; personally I think it's just a flesh wound, and flesh wounds aren't nearly half as serious as the reputational shame of having no spine or balls.[/QUOTE]
Basically.
[QUOTE=ironman17;37630856]I'd like to imagine I have way more spine than that kinda guy; after all he's likely the reason why the Coalition is an absolute joke run by Tories, [B][U]WORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDS.
WORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDS.[/U][/B][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Itachi_Crow;37630636]maybe we can name the next slug or worm species we discover after him.
The Clegg.[/QUOTE]
[I]Stercophilius cleggi[/I]
Clegg's shit-loving worm.
(we need to get a worm-ologist on this asap)
[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;37630607]so you'd deny all other gay people the right to marry just because you personally don't like it?[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't but that doesn't mean I have to like it either.
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