British House Of Commons Approves Gay Marriage
British Premier David Cameron (C) has strongly advocated for same sex unions
The British Parliament on Tuesday moved step closer towards embracing full equality for gay people when MPs voted on Tuesday overwhelmingly in favor of equal marriage at the end of a charged Commons debate that exposed the deep rift over David Cameron’s modernizing agenda at the heart of the Conservative party.
The 225-vote majority, greeted with rare applause in the public gallery, was marred for the prime minister, who suffered a humiliating rebuff when more than half of the parliamentary Tory party declined to support the government on an issue he has personally invested in.
Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, led an unofficial rebellion by an estimated 136 Tory MPs in rejecting Cameron’s plea. The opponents – including two tellers – included Adam Afriyie, the MP for Windsor, who has been running a Tory leadership campaign.
The result meant the prime minister, who won the support of an estimated 127 Tory MPs, including one teller, failed to win more than half of his 303 MPs.
But the bill is likely to reach the statute book, assuming it has a safe passage through the Lords, after support from Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs ensured it got an overwhelming second reading.
Desmond Swayne, a Tory whip who used to serve as the prime minister’s parliamentary private secretary, proudly announced to the chamber that 400 MPs had voted in favour of the bill, with 175 voting against.
The prime minister welcomed the vote. He tweeted: “Strong views exist on both sides but I believe MPs voting for gay people being able to marry too, is a step forward for our country.”
Nick Clegg said: “I genuinely believe that we will look back on today as a landmark for equality in Britain … No matter who you are and who you love, we are all equal. Marriage is about love and commitment, and it should no longer be denied to people just because they are gay.”
The Roman Catholic Church made clear that it would use the strong objections to the bill voiced by MPs across the house to maintain its campaign against same-sex marriage.
The Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, said: “The Catholic Church continues to support marriage understood by society for centuries as the significant and unique lifelong commitment between a man and a woman for their mutual well-being and open to the procreation and education of children. Marriage is rooted in the complementarity of man and woman.
“For these reasons the Church opposes the government’s Bill to re-define marriage. Despite claims by supporters of the Bill that the central issue is one of equality, the Bill actually seeks to re-define marriage and will have consequences for society at large.
“It became clear during today’s debate in the House of Commons that the government has not thought through a number of profound problems in the bill raised by members of parliament during the debate. It will be extremely important that the many concerns we and others have expressed will be fully and carefully considered during the next stages of the bill’s passage through parliament.”
One prominent Tory opponent of the bill endorsed the church’s view. The MP said: “This legislation is asking for trouble. The lawyers will be rubbing their hands.”
Colin Hart, campaign director of the anti-equal marriage group Coalition for Marriage, said: “The scale of the opposition against the government’s profoundly undemocratic plans is astonishing, and sends a clear message to the prime minister that he faces a lengthy and damaging battle to redefine marriage.
A promised statement by the prime minister was hurriedly recorded for television cameras late on Tuesday afternoon four hours after Maria Miller, the equalities minister, had opened the debate.
The criticism of the prime minister was voiced after MPs from all the main parties lined up on opposing sides. Margot James, Tory MP for Stourbridge, warned her colleagues that the Conservative party would suffer the same fate as the Republicans in the US unless it wholeheartedly embraced social reform.
But Sir Roger Gale, the veteran Tory MP for Thanet North, lambasted the government. “Marriage is the union between a man and a woman – has been historically, remains so. It is Alice in Wonderland territory, Orwellian almost, for any government of any political persuasion to seek to come along and try to rewrite the political lexicon.”
The Guardian
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The fags have indeed taken over the world. Brace yourselves Uganda, they are coming for you and there is no stopping them.
What a SHAME!!! Our former Colonizers have joined the gang that’s against what the Bible they came preaching to us advocated for…. Genesis 1… The Creation; God Created Adam and Eve for a reason and not adam and steve… You pack of reverse gears!
what else did you expect,did you think they would vote contrary to what their masters the americans what?
I am not gay however I believe Uganda, take a leaf from South Africa
etc. Which person would choose to live a lifestyle that is so hostile to
them? Homosexuality has been in Uganda for years, however I find it
strange that now there is outcry against. As kids the worst we used to
do was laugh at these people but never demonised them.
Children
are being turned into haters of ‘a certain type of people’ which is not
healthy at all. It just beggars belief that this has been interpreted
as a ‘chosen’ lifestyle.
Some Ugandans have chosen to live in
those countries where homosexuality is tolerated and have faced
discrimination of all sorts with nowhere to turn.
We have
murders, paedophiles and rapists in the country, why not focus our
energy to weed those out?. And by the way- why don’t we adhere to loving
all God’s children instead of segregating against them?!
Stop abusing God, calling homosexuals children of God, same will be punished by the wrath of God, because of uttering nonsense.
JOHN 8:44 “You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father
JOHN 3:10
In this way it is clear who are the children of God and who are the
children of the Evil One; anyone who does not do righteousness or who
has no love for his brother, is not a child of God.
I want to inform you that only those who do good are the children of God, stop preaching your evil doctrine calling homosexual God’s children
If homosexual belonged to God why did He kill them in Dodoma and Gomorrah
Gen; 19-1 read from verse one.
And i feel bad when some one like you starts defending something wrong by diverting people from the point, we are reacting on homosexual, but to my surprise you are diverting people to discuss about murders, rapists, when the story is about rapists you bring in murders, if you want us to talk about murders
go ahead and kill a person and see if you will not end up in Luzira,
we are against homosexual activities in our country, we do not force it beyond our boundaries, id identifying yourself as a Ugandan is a problem to you because we have not accepted freely the practice of the evil in our country you are free to migrate and have citizenship in those countries that mistreat you.
And more so teach your children to love evil tell them that murderers, thieves, drug addicts, prostitutes, homosexuals, are good people and they should love them, But some of us we shall tell our children how those people are evil and tell them to never have any thing in common, and tell them that they are enemies of God. because they belong to their father the Devil.
Can’t some straight people especially these ones commenting here, investigate and find out whether homosexuals are real or not real in Uganda. There’s so much that we are ignorant about. BTW; I am a straight person but I happened to read Tamale’s books on this very issue and i happen to know a few guys with ‘different xteristics’ but did not choose them at birth.
The so called developed societies are the morally rotten ones. Africa is largely a third world continent. Howevr, it enjoys 1st world moral position. Someone talks of the Biblical scripture, maybe can redeem such wasted societies.”The devil cites a scripture for a purpose.”Those colonialists replaced the world of God with Greed, selfishness and emptiness the day they raped Africa. In Uganda, our Anti gay bill pends passing. society owes us all morality that has stood a taste of time for generations. European Union has given gay human rights defenders Euros1.8 million (about Shs5.6 billion) to defend sexual minorities in Africa.Tragedy!!!!They began with a political-economic war on Africa,they won. Now the war is to demolish our last line of defense,The social/moral fortress” Our only support weapon is the BILL to pass not today but NOW.