Equal Marriage Debate & Vote [LIVE NOW on BBC Parliament]
 

Second reading of the bill this afternoon and you can watch it being debated in the House of Commons here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/bbcparliament/live

I really hope that tonight those on the side of equality shall be able to laugh in the faces of bigots. We shall soon see.

please let sanity prevail

Surely these voters can't be that bigoted and clueless can they? Probably but hopefully the right outcome shall prevail.

This Irish bigot going on about how overall rates of marriage have declined in countries where gay marriage has been introduced. Boo ****ing hoo. Who cares?

http://www.thisisbigbrother.com/foru...d.php?t=220577

This needs merging into your thread

Its not a Free Vote
MP told Daily Politics today

I consider that a separate issue. That's a news story about the effects this is going to have on the Conservative party, this is about the actual vote and the issue and debate of equal marriage itself.

True


Spunker

We must bear in mind though that although today could be a massive step in the right direction, and is leading the way for progression, there are still many issues that will need be ironed out in the future, the main one of them being that this should not be a choice for any religious institution and no religious institution should be exempt from taking part in this either.

But beggars can't be choosers. This is long overdue, but at least we're getting somewhere.

I look forward to the day when everybody in this country has equal rights in law and people in loving committed relationships can get married whether that be hetero, same sex , transgender.. Whatever its about love and commitment not type of genitals.

I would like to see civil partnerships scrapped and marriage in law apply to everyone.

Oh and if churches don't like that then we should boycott them or start our own churches which reflect the progressive nature of modern society and are not stuck in the Middle Ages or bogged down by outdated religious dogma...!!!!

This is a fantastic speech by Yvette Cooper :love:

I'd quite like civil partnerships to be made available to heterosexual couples.

But then would you not still have a two tier marriage structure ??

In Muslim countries they still stone people to death for being gay. Good luck forcing them to marry gay couples. Because if you're going to force one religion into it, you're going to have to force them all. You can't just choose the easiest target, insist they change their whole dogma, but let the others do their own thing.

I really don't know why there was a differentiation made between civil partnerships and civil marriages in the first place. They are really the same thing.

But then it gives those who strongly oppose being united in the eyes of God the opportunity to not have to take part in such practices.

Fair's fair then, if you wish to be married, be it for religious or traditional reasons, you are free to do so regardless of your sexuality, and if you wish to have roughly the same rights as married couples, but do not wish to take part in religious ceremonies, then you are also entitled to do so, regardless of your sexuality.

All in all though the issue of equal marriage is of much greater importance to me, I just believe if we're going to keep civil partnerships they should at least be extended to include heterosexual couples.

And that's exactly what they should do. I don't think any person in support of equal marriage really disputes that.

This should not be a choice for any religious institution.

Oh **** off Nadine Dorries.

An extract:

What a lousy excuse for such laughable bigotry.

The Ex Jungle woman
has her 4mins Live

she is tough

The Ex Jungle woman
has her 4mins Live

I have to say just watching this debate really highlights just how alarming the influence religion still has on social policy is.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...atertight.html

"The view of the legal profession is not unanimous," the research says, as some lawyers believe the new laws will make it illegal to discriminate against same-sex couples. Other QCs argue that religious groups have special protection under human rights laws.



Seems theres a chance to force the hand of the church of England, the muslims however?.....forget it! haha

Some extracts from Yvette Cooper's speech. From The Guardian:

I think ultimately what we will see is one legal secular version of marriage for everyone hetero, same sex etc... So there will only be one state of marriage in the eyes of the state.

As far as marriage within religious institutions then that will be where the differences will persist and will continue to persist as you cannot realistically easily change long established , long held deeply entrenched religious doma. So for marriage within churches it will be for the church in question to explain their position based on their doctrines.

Now I don't believe the govt has any business forcing or trying to force serious change on these institutions because quite simply they can't. Better still for people to be part of religious institutions that accept and are happy to celebrate within the eyes of god the sacrament of marriage for two people that love each other and are committed to each within their love for God.

These churches are the ones that will flourish and the ones that will represent all people together . The others will stagnate, shrink and will be eventually consumed in their outdated, narrow, bigoted religious dogma only to realise too late that the world is for everyone and God's message of love is also for everyone regardless of sexual orientation.

Scottish Labour MP
says it wrong.