Hmm, don't really expect that from the Conservative party. A Youtube video is good and all but if you're in power and you are for gay equality why not do something about it, why not bring in gay marriage?
In fairness, they haven't done any less than Labour did during their first 6 months in office. I agree that actions speak louder than words, but I (and many others) would be irritated if the Coalition government came in and immedietely focused on gay rights. UK politics is a very hostile environment right now because of public spending cuts etc, so it would do more harm than good for the gay community if they were seen as being given priority over economic problems. Gay marriage is going to happen in the UK, but I think the political climate needs to calm down a bit before we open that can of worms.
I love UK Politics. They always say that the British House of Commons is simply the U.S. Congress with a 5 drink minimum.
Its nice to be in a country like Britain. I know I'm lucky... and to be reminded how lucky, all I need to do is look across the Atlantic to the US, let alone to any illiberal third world countries. There is more to be done, but my oh my, how far we've come.
^Thou who don't live here, shouldn't judge here. P.S. Contrary to belief they're bigots in every westernized nation.
David Cameron MP Prime Minister - It gets better...today [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2GBmqtOOmw&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]
Re: David Cameron MP Prime Minister - It gets better...today i'm sorry i didn't see the other thread on this subject
The connotations of this go something like: "I am so lucky I was raped, I could've been murdered." Congratulations for being a greatful rape victim :eusa_clap
Meh both us and our friends on the other-side-of-the-puddle have some idiots/many idots in our respective governments We're all progressing though, the UK's not doing too bad considering our current economical state and govenment, Ireland's at a similar level, Canada's doing exceptionally well and the US are advancing surprisingly fast considering their size and complicated culture.
While I obviously welcome this, I haven't forgotten that David Cameron has only recently changed his mind on gay rights issues. The cynical side of me suspects he has only done so because public opinion has changed dramatically in the UK in the last decade, and so - realising that he could never get elected by continuing to oppose gay equality laws - he changed his views accordingly. I would, however, like to think that he has genuinely come to realise how ignorant he was in the past. I'm reminded of this recent interview for Gay Times, where he obviously struggles: [youtube]dBlDfp85gP8[/youtube] Cameron's voting record as an MP is certainly not a good one. He voted to keep Section 28, accusing then PM Tony Blair of being "against family values" and pursuing the "promotion of homosexuality in schools". He also supported a bill that would effectively ban gay people from adopting. As recently as 2008 he voted against giving lesbians the right to IVF. He also failed to sack Chris Grayling when he made comments supporting B&B owners having the right to refuse gay couples. Grayling is now in government. He did however support civil partnerships and now says that Section 28 was wrong. Quite a turnaround, but I cautiously welcome it. Overall though, the Tories have not changed in my eyes and I don't just mean lgbt issues, I mean practically everything. I hope Cameron isn't PM for long. I think this video sums it up quite well [youtube]EKFTtYx2OHc[/youtube]
I do not feel anything special when I hear politicians saying anything hopeful to any discriminated community. It's obvious they just want their public support and nothing more. I really doubt they sincerely mean it. They probably didn't even write what they said themselves. It's still nice though.
To be honest people tend to dislike whoever is in power, I just dislike the conservative ideology the most (well other than parties like the BNP)...
Ahhh..you Brits just need Maggie Thatcher to come back. She was a wise woman to insist on keeping the Pound Sterling and not bowing into a common EU Currency. Watching old videos of her handling the House of Commons during PM's Questions is priceless. I'll be the first to admit that I am no expert on UK politics, but I did like that woman.
The euro was introduced in the late nineties, long after Thatcher was booted from office. It was actually Gordon Brown that, as Chancellor, insisted on keeping Britain out of the euro. I don't want to start a debate on something we'll no doubt disagree on (and its now getting off topic), but Britain is still suffering from Thatcherism. She was clever, certainly. There's no doubt that she was skillful at what she did. Yet she was utterly cold hearted and without compassion. We should also remember that it was her that introduced Section 28. Her even bigger crime for me was infecting this country with her selfish, destructive idealogy which still runs through society today. It was precisely that sort of unregulated, free market capitalism that got us into the economic climate in which we now find ourselves. The last thing we need now is another Thatcher (which, unfortunately, is what we've got).