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UK: Prominent Conservative Blogger Comes Out for Marriage Equality

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Conservative Blogger for Marriage EqualityA prominent Tory commentator and editor of the Conservative Home website has come out in favour of gay marriage. Tim Montgomerie has previously been noted for his activities combining religion and politics, having founded the Conservative Christian Fellowship in 1990.

Talking to the Independent this weekend, he said many in the CCF were “upset, very perplexed” and felt “real disappointment” at his move to back equal marriage.

On his blog today, Montgomerie wrote: “It is because I value marriage so much that I have come to believe it should be extended to gay people and not kept exclusive.”

Full Story from Pink News

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UK: Deputy PM Says Government Will Go Ahead With Marriage Equality, Despite Attacks

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

UK Marriage Equality FightNick Clegg has pledged the Government will not backslide on its promise to legalise gay marriage despite a revolt by Conservative MPs who oppose the plan. The Deputy Prime Minister told the Tory rebels that they were wrong to claim that bringing in civil marriage for gays and lesbians would weaken the institution of marriage and said the reform would be driven through Parliament.

Mr Clegg spoke out yesterday after The Independent revealed traditionalist Tory MPs are plotting to derail the proposal in the Commons. Tory insiders believe 100 MPs could oppose it.

The Liberal Democrat leader insisted: “There is absolutely no question of the Coalition Government abandoning our commitment to legalise gay marriage. I wholeheartedly reject the idea that making civil marriage open to same-sex couples somehow devalues the institution of marriage. I would argue the opposite – it makes it stronger.” He said Lynne Featherstone, the Lib Dem Equalities Minister, had been driving this agenda and would launch a consultation exercise in March.

Full Story from The Independent

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UK: Conservative MPs Try to Sabotage Marriage Equality Plan

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

MPs Try to Sabotage UK Marriage EqualityConservative MPs are trying to sabotage David Cameron’s plan to legalise gay marriage, threatening a rebellion bigger than the one in which 81 voted against the Government on Europe.

A campaign to defeat the Coalition’s plan to lift the ban on civil marriage for gay and lesbian couples is being organised by traditionalist Tory MPs, who claim the idea would weaken the institution of marriage. Ministers fear the revolt will undermine Mr Cameron’s drive to modernise his party.

MPs have been promised a free vote, although ministers will be urged to support Mr Cameron. Opponents claim more than 100 Tory backbenchers could vote against gay marriage, dwarfing the number who voted for a Europe referendum last October. Backbenchers have protested to ministers about the Government’s backing for the change at private meetings of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs. “Feelings are running high,” one senior party source said yesterday.

Full Story from The Independent

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Is the UK’s Equality Minister Opposed to Marriage Equality?

Friday, December 9th, 2011

UK Equality Minister and Marriage EqualityBravo to the Liberal Democrat party conference. A year ago, party members voted overwhelmingly to end the twin legal bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships. They committed the Lib Dems would work in government to scrap sexual orientation discrimination in marriage and partnership law. Well done. Thank you.

Sadly, the Lib Dem equality minister, Lynne Featherstone, apparently with the support of the Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, is now actively backing discrimination. She plans to keep unequal laws, contrary to the Lib Dem’s election pledges.

Specifically, Lynne is vowing to retain the prohibition on heterosexual civil partnerships and on religious same-sex marriages by faith organisations that want to conduct them. This is in direct defiance of what her party members voted for: equality.

Full Story from Pink News

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Pro and Anti Marriage Equality Forces Rally at Scottish Parliament

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Scottish Marriage Equality RalliesSupporters of same-sex marriage have been met by a noisy counter-demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament. Members of the Humanist Society had gathered at Holyrood the day before a Scottish Government consultation on the issue closes. But they were at times drowned out by religious supporters of the institution of marriage.

Ross Wright, of the Humanist Society, addressed the demonstration which included people dressed in white wedding dresses.

He said: “Quite simply, marriage should be a free choice: free for all couples and free for the celebrant to choose whether they are happy to officiate. Marriage is important. Love does not discriminate and a concept of modern marriage for Scotland is the sensible and reasonable way forward.”

Full Story from The Press Association

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UK: Church of England Says it May Have to Offer Weddings to Gay Couples

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

Church of EnglandSame-sex couples will be able to have church weddings if David Cameron goes ahead with plans to allow gay marriage, the Church of England indicated yesterday. Its lawyers said that weddings will have to be offered to same-sex couples under any scheme to open the full privileges and title of marriage to gays and lesbians.

They suggested that if same-sex couples could marry the Church would no longer be sheltered from equality laws that forbid it from discriminating against homosexuals.

The admission was made by officials in a paper on the impact of new civil partnership regulations. The rules, which come into effect on Monday, mean that, for the first time, churches would in theory be able to host same-sex civil partnership registration ceremonies.

Full Story from the Mail Online

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Scotland: Catholics Rally Against Marriage Equality

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Catholics to Protest Marriage Equality in ScotlandSCOTLAND’s most powerful Catholic will speak today at the launch of a new alliance forged in opposition to proposals that could allow homosexual couples to be married in a place of worship.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien will address a rally organised by the Scotland for Marriage campaign, which has been set up as consultation continues on gay marriage and religious ceremonies.

The Catholic Church in Scotland has joined the Church of Scotland, the Christian Institute, which promotes the Bible as “the supreme authority” of all life, and other evangelical groups to oppose moves to give homosexual couples the same rights in marriage as heterosexuals.

Full Story from The Herald

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UK: Plan to Allow Gay Weddings in Churches in Jeopardy

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Gay Weddings in UK ChurchesDAVID Cameron’s pledge to allow gay marriages in churches could be thrown out by angry Tory peers. A motion put forward by Conservative peer Baroness O’Cathain could kill the proposal, effectively kicking it into the long grass, Government sources have revealed.

Senior Lib Dems were furious with the Tories for stealing their party’s policy and announcing it as their own at their annual conference.

Lib Dem and Labour critics argued that Mr Cameron’s announcement – that the Tories under his leadership backed gay marriage – was a cynical political ploy to “detoxify” his party in the eyes of voters.

Full Story from The Mirror

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UK: Catholic Archbishop “Disappointed” With Marriage Equality Move

Friday, November 18th, 2011

VaticanIn his most detailed public comments on the controversial move, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols warned against the proposal to “annexe the territory of marriage” for same-sex couples and “weaken” an institution at the heart of society.

He also expressed some support for the activists camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral, saying that protest can help start important debates, but added that they needed to make their demands clearer.

And in response to the current scandals involving abuse committed by Catholic clergy, the Archbishop of Westminster admitted that the Church’s response to victims has been “inadequate”.

Full Story from The Telegraph

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UK: More than 50% of Christians Would Abandon Conservative Party Over Marriage Equality

Monday, November 7th, 2011

United Kingdom PollThe Conservative party risks losing Christian votes if it goes ahead with legalising gay marriage, a survey conducted by ComRes suggests.

The poll, undertaken on behalf of Premier Christian Media Trust, indicates that more than half of church-going Christians would be less likely to vote Conservative if the government introduces gay marriage rights.

But Revd Colin Coward from the gay rights group Changing Attitudes told Premier’s Sarah Johnston the loss of votes is unlikely to change policy.

Full Story from Pink News

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