http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...on-ministers-consider-gay-marriage-plans.html Sounds like the only thing I'd agree with this Government on :lol:
I know, you're probably right I hope we're both proved wrong though. There's probably a better chance of winning this battle through the courts, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that a straight couple tried to get a civil partnership and were refused, while a gay couple tried to get married and were refused. Both couples are now taking their cases to the European Court of Human Rights. Hopefully they win their cases
I hope something comes from this. And the Hetero couple who are trying for a civil partnership are here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQrvfibimlk Also i'd like to say that whenever someone refers to the government as 'The Coalition' it makes me think of a si-fi government.
David Cameron did that "It Gets Better" video a little while back so I wonder if the Conservatives are softening up a little. It seems likely that it will pass though if it's brought up for a vote.
¬_¬ I might be sounding cynical, but they can say these things but they wouldn't really be considering them. It'd be beneficial in some areas but in areas such as here, amongst many others, it'd be political suicide when your voters already think that the Coalition is too left wing. I'd happily be proved wrong though! My MP: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/patrick_mcloughlin/derbyshire_dales % = agreement Voted strongly against equal gay rights. 73% Homosexuality - Not acceptable 71% Transexuality - Against legal recognition 0% Sexuality Equalisation 14% Homosexuality - Equal rights the one in bold is shocking considering it's up to date, i'm pretty sure most BNP candidates aren't that bad... and for the record.... Voted moderately against more EU integration. Voted very strongly against the hunting ban. Voted very strongly for the Iraq war. Voted very strongly for replacing Trident. % = agreement 100% Abortion, Embryology and Euthanasia- Against 100% Alcohol - restrict its availability 100% Cut Spending on Public Services 2% Faith schools: abolish 17% European Union - For 95% Military expansion - Favour 100% Privatise Royal Mail 0% Pro Science and technology 84% Recreational drugs - Against legalization 0% Voting age - Reduce to 16 This turned into a bit of a statistics fuelled rant, but I have the worst MP ever, even by Tory standards. k, i'm calm now.
I love my MP on that site it says: Voted strongly for equal gay rights. Lib Dem Secretary of State, Scotland. Can't complain at that really.
After all the empty promises the Lib Dems made during the election i will not believe anything that the government says until I see it signed and sealed through the houses of parliament into law.
If the Coalition have anything to do with it, we'll probably have to pay at least £9,000 a year to get married.
I don't know... I work in politics and I know we wouldn't go this far... "Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister, is expected to announce that same-sex civil partnership ceremonies will be allowed in churches and other religious settings for the first time. " If we weren't ready to legislate. Granted, this isn't "marriage", but about as close as you can be without actually being "marriage". "Civil Partnerships" permitted in 2005, now this? I think, gay marriage is just around the corner for the UK! I think the bigger question though, is what religious institutions in the UK are 'ready' to conduct same-sex civil partnerships? As far as I know, the Church of England, Roman Catholic Church, and Church of Scotland are all against and they make up the vast majority of religious institutions. Who knows, maybe the Anglican (Church of England) Church in the UK will follow in the Anglican Church of Canada or Episcapal Church of the US' footsteps! Your brethern across the pond are appointing openly gay bishops now ya know! Get with the Program/Programme! [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPZ5eUrNF24[/YOUTUBE]
Em, much as I thought it was a ridiculous proposal, one of the Conservatives' election proposals was a marriage subsidy, for the lowest third in income of couples. And this covered gay couples getting civil partnerships as much as it did married couples. I was speaking to a former editor of Pink News, he said that the establishment of the Church of England is a major obstacle to opening marriage to gay couples, that as a state religion it is meant to be able to solemnize any marriage, so they'll need to find some way around that. I am hopeful of seeing it in the next few years, and ultimately that when it happens, it will force pressure on Irish politicians to do the same.
People are gonna need those subsidies to pay for their tuition . I've been with the coalition on most other things I guess, so hopefully this will be another one. I've never really understood what religion had to do with marriage in the first place, I mean, two atheists can get married and the church doesn't stop them. I get how seeing as we are officially a Protestant Christian country (although I can't say I know too many people who attend church every Sunday, if at all) the church does have control over marriage. But the Queen is officially the head of state, however just because she allowed to go around screaming 'Off with their head!' doesn't mean she's going to. It's just sad that we're supposed to be one of the most tolerant places in the world, and yet on this issue we're still behind other countries and states.
Yeah, I am not sure how interested you are in the Church of England's stance, but from what I understand the Archbishop of Canterbury (Head of the Anglican Communion) is actually quite liberal on the issue (not sure if he is for gay marriage or just gay blessings). What is holding him back is that he (and the English Church) is susposed to be the first/leader in the Worldwide Anglican Communion. So while America and Canada are well on the path to Gay Blessings & possibly marriage in the next few years, the English Church is trying to play middle-man to keep the Liberal Anglicans in North America happy and the Very Conservative Anglicans in Africa Happy. It seems he will do just about anything to avoid a split in the Church. So while Canterbury is actually quite Liberal, he is coming off as pro status-quo to avoid a schism in the Church. Thus, I assume that if the government asked the Church for its opinion on the matter, Canterbury would push for status quo. In fact, the Archbishop of Canterbury has even placed restrictions on the Canadian and American Churches for disobeying his request that we stop moving forward with Gay Blessings/Appointing Openly Gay Bishops etc until further notice. Both Canada and America have since seemed to ignore his requests despite using conciliatory language.