We should really celebrate that same sex couples value marriage, and want the chance to marry too
Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 10:24, Fri 8 February 2013:
Parliament was packed on Tuesday for the debate on same sex marriage.
Approximately 70 MPs spoke in the debate, which lasted for 6 hours. It was a very intense afternoon.
I was proud to sum up the debate for Labour, and very proud to vote in favour of same sex marriage, helping to secure a large majority for legislation to proceed.
I firmly believe that same sex couples who love one another and want to express their commitment to each other by marrying should have the same chance to do so as opposite sex couples.
The majority of the public, including 3 in 5 people with religious faith, and a large majority of younger people, think so too.
Marriage is both a religious and social institution. As the Church of England itself points out, it predates both church and state.
Over the centuries it has changed and adapted to reflect changing societal attitudes. Now it's ready to change again.
In the past, marriage has changed to allow married women to own their own property, to allow civil as well as religious marriage, to recognise religious marriages in all faiths, not just in the Church of England, to recognise that rape can take place within a marriage, and to permit those who've undergone gender reassignment to marry in their affirmed gender.
It's precisely because marriage is so responsive to changing values that it's proved so longlasting and so resilient.
I think we should really celebrate that same sex couples value marriage, and want the chance to marry too.
I've been very moved by lesbians and gay men talking about the pride and delight they will feel in being able to express their love for their partner through marriage.
Some want to celebrate their marriage as part of their religious faith.
So I'm pleased the bill permits religious same sex marriage.
But no religious institution, priest or celebrant will be obliged to carry out same sex marriage. Protecting religious freedom of belief is important too.
The bill will now be scrutinised in detail by a committee of MPs. I'll be a member of that committee.
We will be looking at some complex issues, including ensuring no church or religious body could be subject to a successful legal challenge for refusing to conduct a same sex marriage, and ensuring we respect the religious beliefs of teachers, registrars and public servants.
I know that not all constituents reading this blog will agree with my stance.
But I just have to say that on Tuesday I heard some of the most moving speeches that I have ever heard from lesbian and gay MP colleagues.
Nothing has made me more certain that I voted the right way.
This law is about equality, about acknowledging and affirming people's sexual identity, about celebrating difference and diversity, and about the values of love and commitment we can all share.
And I am glad to have voted for that.
Kate Green
Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston
Shadow Spokesperson for Equality Tel: 0161 749 9120 (constituency); 020 7219 7162 (Westminster)
Www.kategreen.org<http://Www.kategreen.org>
@kategreensu
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Posted by Mr Clive Gibson, 15:13, Fri 8 February 2013: (Is this post abusive?) #
This is not just a 'change' to marriage it is the the abolition of marriage as a special institution. Marriage means the union of a man and woman and if it doesn't mean this it doesn't mean anything different to any other kind of 'partnership'. The whole purpose of marriage is that a man and a woman come together to have children - gay 'marriage' is an absurdity - and pretending that gays can be 'married' is just the final nail in the coffin of an ancient institution dating back to the dawn of time to please a few deluded people.