Over at The Independent, Lib Dem MP for Newquay & St Austell Stephen Gilbert explains his support for equal LGBT rights, which took another step forward today with the Lib Dem conference support for equal marriage. Here’s an excerpt:
… despite the repeal of Section 28, the equalisation of the age of consent, same-sex adoption and civil partnerships; homophobia still rears its ugly head in playgrounds, workplaces and even in the home. It’s unacceptable. It’s an individual’s right to live their lives as they see fit, without discrimination, with personal privacy, with equal rights in front of the law. That’s why I’m backing the motion calling for the introduction of an equal, gender-neutral, marriage law today. …
Civil Partnerships were a very valuable step in the right direction and their introduction will be a major help in the campaign to get equal marriage on the statute books. … But gay couples do not want to be “separate but equal” anymore, as surveys by the Equality Network and PinkNews.co.uk have underlined. That is why I will be calling on our Conference later today to approve this motion. As Nick Clegg said: “Love is the same, straight or gay, so the civil institution should be the same” and I agree with Nick.
You can read Stephen’s article in full here.
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2 Comments
Not going to happen. Simple.
Well, I’m glad Stephen, Simon Hughes and those of us at LGBT Lib Dems aren’t as pessimistic as you, Bryan – imagine what we’d never achieve if we thought it was , eh?