Gay couples could be allowed to marry under Tory election plans

Gay couples could be allowed to marry under Tory election plans

Homosexuals could be allowed to marry under Conservative plans set out under a new equalities manifesto.

By Martin Beckford
Published: 7:00AM BST 04 May 2010

The party states that, if elected, it would “consider the case” for civil partnerships between same-sex couples to be “called and classified as marriage”.

Neither Labour nor the Liberal Democrats have made similar pledges in their election literature, making the Tories’ proposal the most progressive of the three main parties despite the criticism some leading candidates have received over their attitudes towards homosexuality.

Under the recent Equality Act they will be able to ask to host the events in places of worship, but they are still not allowed to call such unions “marriage” nor use traditional religious vows.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7673224/Gay-couples-could-be-allowed-to-marry-under-Tory-election-plans.html

This is a very interesting development. The Conservative Party (who may well be the government of Britain by Friday morning) has changed dramatically since the 1980s when it passed a notorious law banning schools from 'promoting homosexuality' (i.e., even talking about it). Party members hold mixed views, with many still being old-school bigots; but the leadership is pretty open now.

I doubt that the change will come quickly, party manifestos rapidly get forgotten - but I have little doubt that our Civil Partnerships (which already cover essentially the same ground as marriage) will be upgraded to marriage within the next ten years.

that these terms mean different things in our respective countries. :hi: