UK Prime Minister has attempted to heal the rift in the Conservative party by saying marriage equality opponents are not ‘bigoted’
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said the equal marriage bill in England and Wales will help gay teens ‘stand that bill taller’ today.
The Conservative leader also attempted to heal divisions in his party by insisting marriage equality opponents were not ‘bigoted’.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: ‘There will be young boys in schools today who are gay, who are worried about being bullied, who are worried about what society thinks about them, who can see the highest parliament in the land has said that their love is worth the same as anyone else’s love.’
Cameron added: ‘I think they will stand that bit taller today.’
Yesterday (21 May), the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill overwhelmingly passed the third reading by 366 votes to 161 – a majority of 205.
More Tories voted against the bill than for it, 133 to 117.
Acknowledging same-sex marriage had divided the Conservative party, Cameron insisted it was the right thing for England and Wales.
‘I am proud that legislation has now passed the House of Commons, that is a good thing,’ he said.
‘I think it’s important we have this degree of equality. I say that as someone who is a massive supporter of marriage. It’s such a good institution it should be available to gay people as well as heterosexual people.’
Some backbench MPs have blamed same-sex marriage for the drop in Conservative support in the polls.
Nadine Dorries, MP for mid-Bedfordshire, tweeted: ‘So, we dropped to 27 points in tonight’s polls. That gay marriage thing is really working for us.’
Former cabinet minister Norman Tebbit said ministers had ‘really fucked things up’, and claimed marriage equality would lead to lesbian queens and fathers marrying sons.
But Cameron believes the equal marriage opponents are ‘wrong-headed or bigoted’.
‘This is a different point of view but we should respect each other,’ he said.
‘There is plenty of room in a modern party like the Conservative party to have people who are opponents of gay marriage and proponents of gay marriage.’
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has now moved to the House of Lords, where it is expected to cause will now move to the House of Lords, where it is expected to start discussion in a couple of weeks.
Author:Joe Morgan
Publication: Gay Star News
Publication Date: May 22 2013