This week, the Gay Marriage Bill scored a massive victory and moved a step closer to becoming legislation, when a wrecking amendment to the Bill was defeated 390 votes to 148 in the House of Lords.
There is still a long way to go as after 48 hours worth of debate involving 90 different speakers, including rather sadly, dozens of Tory backbenchers who refusing to follow David Cameron's lead on the policy. What struck us the most was the fact that the head of the church in the U.K., the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spoke against the Bill as it currently stood, as it would create "different and unequal" forms of marriage which would undermine family life. Sigh.
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But despite that, it is a victory that should be celebrated, as Ben Summerskill, chief executive at Stonewall explains, "We're absolutely delighted. We always expected a tough challenge in the House of Lords, and Lord Dear's 'fatal motion' — very rarely used — demonstrates the lengths to which a minority of peers are, sadly, still prepared to go to deny full equality to lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. In the last 24 hours alone, opponents of equality in the House of Lords have compared loving, committed relationships to incest and polygamy. Britain's 3.7 million gay people don't deserve to be second class citizens in their own country. A tough fight lies ahead and we'll continue to work tirelessly every single day to get equal marriage through the Lords." We're with you every step of the way, sir. To be continued. (The Evening Standard)
Photo: Via The Evening Standard