I dislike David Cameron, but he was right on gay marriage | The Spectator

Contents:

• CAMERON: 'WHY I BACK CHURCH GAY MARRIAG'
• I DISLIKE DAVID CAMERON, BUT HE WAS RIGHT ON GAY MARRIAGE
• INTRODUCG GAY MARRIAGE ONE OF MY PROUST MOMENTS: FORMER PM DAVID CAMERON
• MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
• DAVID CAMERON: MY WIFE SAMANTHA NVCED ME TO TRODUCE GAY MARRIAGE
• DAVID CAMERON: INTRODUCG GAY MARRIAGE ONE OF MY ‘PROUST MOMENTS’
• DAVID CAMERON: ‘I SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE BEE I AM A CONSERVATIVE’
• LABOUR SAV DAVID CAMERON'S GAY MARRIAGE BILL
• GAY RIGHTS AND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY AS “THE NASTY PARTY” THE OPPOSN YEARS BEFORE CAMERON’S LEARSHIP (1997-2005)
• DAVID CAMERON SAYS LEGALISG GAY MARRIAGE WAS ONE OF HIS REER HIGHLIGHTS - FOR AN EXTRA SPECIAL REASON
• WHY DAVID CAMERON BACKS GAY MARRIAGEWHY DAVID CAMERON BACKS GAY MARRIAGE—AND WHAT THE GOP N LEARN OM HIM. BY ALEX MASSIE.ALEX MASSIEUPDATED JUL. 13, 2017 9:19PM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 19, 2011 2:59PM EDT ANDREW WNG, RTERS / LANDOVIF EVER YOU NEED REMDG THAT BRA AND THE UNED STAT ARE DIVID BY A MON LANGUAGE, NSIR THE FACT THAT A CONSERVATIVE-LED ERNMENT LONDON NOW ENDORS GAY MARRIAGE. AS NTENRS FOR THE REPUBLIN PARTY'S PRINTIAL NOMATN SIST THAT SAME-SEX MARRIAG MT STROY MARRIAGE, THEIR NSERVATIVE UNTERPARTS BRA ARGUE THAT POLICS AND MORALY ALIKE REQUIRE THE ERNMENT TO M TO LEGALIZG GAY MARRIAG.CONSEQUENTLY DAVID CAMERON'S ERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED A NSULTATN ON TRODUCG LEGISLATN LEGALIZG SAME-SEX MARRIAG BEFORE THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTN, SCHLED FOR 2015. CCIALLY, THE NSULTATN IS NOT A MATTER OF "WHETHER" TO WELE GAY UPL TO THE MARAL FOLD BUT "HOW" TO DO SO. IT IS A WELE VELOPMENT.SUPPORTG GAY MARRIAGE, THOUGH TOO MUCH FOR THE CSTIER BREED OF NSERVATIVE, IS NEVERTHELS A SOUND TORY PRCIPLE: MMENT NNOT BE TERMED BY SEXUALY, AND THERE'S NO REASON TO NY OR REFE TO RPECT THE SCERY AND VALUE OF SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS. A POLIL PARTY THAT BELIEV THE VALUE OF MARRIAGE SHOULD NOT BE RTRICTG S BENEFS TO HETEROSEXUAL UPL.SO THIS VELOPMENT SATISFI LIBERAL ASPIRATNS WHILE ALSO, HAPPILY, MONSTRATG THE VALUE OF TIMELS TORY PRCIPL. SOCIETY CHANG, AND THE PROPER SORT OF TORY, HOWEVER MUCH THE PAST ATTRACTS HIM, APPRECIAT THAT NSERVATIV MT ALSO CHANGE IF THEY'RE TO PROTECT THE VALU THEY HOLD MOST AR AND REMA RELEVANT A MUCH-CHANGED WORLD. CAMERON IS KEEPG A PROMISE HE MA WHEN HE BEME TORY LEAR. AS LONG AGO AS 2006, HE CLARED, "THERE'S SOMETHG SPECIAL ABOUT MARRIAGE. IT'S NOT ABOUT RELIGN. IT'S NOT ABOUT MORALY. IT'S ABOUT MMENT. WHEN YOU STAND UP THERE, ONT OF YOUR IENDS AND YOUR FAY, ONT OF THE WORLD, WHETHER 'S A CHURCH OR ANYWHERE ELSE, WHAT YOU'RE DOG REALLY MEANS SOMETHG. PLEDGG YOURSELF TO ANOTHER MEANS DOG SOMETHG BRAVE AND IMPORTANT. YOU ARE MAKG A MMENT. YOU ARE PUBLICLY SAYG: 'S NOT JT ABOUT 'ME, ME, ME' ANYMORE. IT IS ABOUT WE: TOGETHER, THE TWO OF , THROUGH THICK AND TH. THAT REALLY MATTERS. AND BY THE WAY, MEANS SOMETHG WHETHER YOU'RE A MAN AND A WOMAN, A WOMAN AND A WOMAN, OR A MAN AND ANOTHER MAN."IT ED TO BE SAID THAT THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND WAS THE TORY PARTY AT PRAYER. DOUBTLS REMAS THE SE THAT RELIG BRONS ARE, ALL OTHER MATTERS BEG EQUAL, MORE LIKELY TO VOTE CONSERVATIVE. BUT AS FAR AS CIVIL MARRIAGE IS NCERNED, THERE IS NO NEED TO PANR TO THE OBJECTNS OF A FAHFUL MORY. INED, BRA IS A LARGELY SECULAR SOCIETY THE DAYS AND, AT LEAST AS FAR AS SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS ARE NCERNED, A MUCH MORE CIVILIZED PLACE THAN WAS THE SE YEARS GONE BY.EVEN SO, IS STRIKG HOW QUICKLY SOCIETY HAS CHANGED. HOMOSEXUALY WAS CRIMALIZED ONLY 1967; LS THAN 50 YEARS LATER, A CONSERVATIVE-LED ERNMENT IS PREPARG TO LEGALIZE HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAG. BY DOG SO, ACCEPTS THE ARGUMENT THAT CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS—TRODUCED BY TONY BLAIR'S ERNMENT—ARE AN UNSATISFACTORY PROMISE THAT, ACTUALLY, DO MUCH MORE TO UNRME THE STUTN OF MARRIAGE THAN DO WELG GAY UPL TO THE MARAL NGREGATN.MOREOVER, CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS—A STEP FORWARD AS THEY MAY ONCE HAVE BEEN—STILL FALL SHORT OF FULL EQUALY. ELIMATG THIS DISCREPANCY— SEEMS LIKELY THAT CAMERON'S MISSN WILL REMEND SCRAPPG CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS—REMOV THE STIGMA, HOWEVER MOR MAY HAVE SEEMED TO SOME, OF SEND-CLASS STAT.THE CHURCH MAY DISAGREE. BUT THERE'S NO REASON TO GRANT THEM A VETO OVER THE CIVIL FN OF MARRIAGE. IT IS UNLIKELY CHURCH WILL BE PELLED TO REGNIZE GAY MARRIAG ANY MORE THAN A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIT MT BE CHEERFULLY EXPECTED TO OFFICIATE AT A PROTTANT MARRIAGE CEREMONY. THOUGH OFTEN NFLATED, THE CIVIL AND RELIG STAMPS OF APPROVAL ARE DIFFERENT, AND THE LATTER NEED NOT BE EXPECTED FOR EVERY BRAND OF CIVIL MARRIAGE.CAMERON'S OFFICE BRIEFED REPORTERS THAT THE ERNMENT'S CISN TO UPGRA SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS OM CIVIL-PARTNERSHIP STAT TO FULL-SLE, NO-HOLDS-BARRED, NO-QUTNS-ASKED MARRIAGE WAS BACKED, AND ED PROMPTED, BY THE PRIME MISTER'S ENTHIASM FOR THE ISSUE.THERE IS A POLIL BENEF TO BE GAED OM THIS, TOO: RERC CAMERON'S OWN BRAND OF "PASSNATE NSERVATISM" AND UNRL THE FACT THAT, NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE MIGHT THK ABOUT HIS ENOMIC POLICY, HE HAS CHANGED THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY FOR REAL AND FOR GOOD.MORE THAN ANYTHG ELSE, HOWEVER, REGNIZ THAT SOCIETY HAS CHANGED AND, RRPONDGLY, SO MT SENSIBLE NSERVATIV. BY DOG SO, THEY MAY MAKE A VIRTUE OUT OF NECSY AND EVABILY WHILE REAFFIRMG THE SENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF MARRIAGE. LOW POLICS AND HIGH PRCIPLE MEET A NVENIENT BUT PASSNATE MARRIAGE OF THEIR OWN. EVENTUALLY, PERHAPS, EVEN THE REPUBLIN PARTY THE UNED STAT WILL APPRECIATE THIS. ALEX MASSIE
• SAMANTHA CAMERON 'PHED' EX-PRIME MISTER DAVID CAMERON TO BACKG GAY MARRIAGE
• DAVID CAMERON REVEALS HE 'WORRIED AND WOBBLED' OVER GAY MARRIAGE
• GAY MARRIAGE BILL PASSED, SPE TORY OPPOSN

CAMERON: 'WHY I BACK CHURCH GAY MARRIAG'

It may have been dly ntroversial at the time, but gay marriage quickly beme one of those reforms that ends up a permanent fixture: no party would serly ntemplate s repeal. David Cameron said the troductn of same sex marriage was one of his proust moments as Prime Mister, havg worried and “wobbled” over the issue the face of some heated opposn wh the Conservative his tobgraphy, Mr Cameron says he do, however, regret abstag om votg on a motn put by Tory lleague Ia Dunn Smh to block gay upl’ right to adopt children, rather than votg agast . A group of mps led by Ben Bradshaw, a gay Anglin, is lookg at ways to amend the legislatn to allow willg prits and parish to take part, which they argue uld also help boost dwdlg numbers the aisl.

I DISLIKE DAVID CAMERON, BUT HE WAS RIGHT ON GAY MARRIAGE

“It was only through long nversatns wh lleagu, iends and my wife, Samantha, that I beme nvced that nyg gay upl the abily to get married ma them feel like their love for one another unted for ls than straight upl, ” he Cameron said he uld ‘always’ see the practil arguments favour of gay marriage (Getty)“It wasn’t jt about symbolism – they wanted to show mment to one another the same way as heterosexual upl. ”Mr Cameron, who had “somethg of a nvert’s zeal myself” wrote that he uld “always” see the “practil arguments” favour of gay people beg allowed to get ex-PM, who qu polics after losg the EU referendum 2016, also scribed attendg his first gay weddg after the law me to effect.

”Mr Cameron’s aln ernment ultimately passed the Marriage (Same Sex Coupl) Bill wh a large majory beme law the followg year, allowg same-sex upl to marry civil ceremoni and relig ceremoni where the church has “opted ” Church of England and the Catholic church still do not regnise same-sex marriag, although the former recently said would perm misters to bls civil 2023 marks 20 years sce Sectn 28, the law that banned the ‘promotn of homosexualy’ the UK, was Month started on 1 June and the ma event London, expected to attract more than a ln visors, tak place on 1 July and will feature paras, parti and protts. Ahead of the first same-sex weddgs the UK, which took place March 2014, Cameron wrote for PkNews that marriage is “a wonrful stutn” that should be “available to gay people and lbians”. “I am proud of the work this ernment has done and is dog to allow gay and lbian upl to have their love for each other regnised this way, ” he said.

He go on to expla that his wife, Samantha, was “forceful” tellg him that his arguments for backg civil partnerships 2004 – “ensurg that gay upl weren’t discrimated agast when me to important tails like hospal visg rights, herance and rights for bereaved partners” – were “the right ncln, but the wrong argument”. Conservativ Bra are expandg the fn of nservatism to clu equaly for gays and lbians, the Washgton Post reports, as Prime Mister David Cameron ph through a same-sex marriage law.

INTRODUCG GAY MARRIAGE ONE OF MY PROUST MOMENTS: FORMER PM DAVID CAMERON

’’ Mdful of the growg social acceptance for gay people, Cameron has gradually evolved towards fg gay rights as human rights and has hosted a summ on homophobia profsnal soccer “and officially apologized for Thatcher-era antigay polici, llg the party’s prev stance ‘a mistake. The ernment's gay marriage bill was saved after David Cameron was forced to rely on Ed Miliband to feat an attempt by his own MPs to rail the measure by tryg to extend civil partnerships to heterosexual 11th-hour plea to the Labour learship by the Tory chief whip Sir Gee Young, who warned that the ernment was danger of losg the vote, prompted a change of heart by Miliband, who had been planng to absta on the Labour move meant that the amendment, tabled by the anti-gay marriage Tory and former children's mister Tim Loughton, was feated by 375 to 70 vot, a majory of cisn by the Labour learship, which has gone om supportg the amendment on civil partnerships to rejectg wh the space of 24 hours, means that the marriage (same-sex upl) bill will now experience a safer journey through the prime mister, who attempted to reach out to his party by emailg a "personal note" to all members sayg that he would never work wh anyone who "sneered" at them, suffered the huiatn of havg to plead wh the Labour party for support. All vot were classified as ee which meant that MPs uld vote acrdg to their one of the most dramatic moments the former fence mister, Sir Gerald Howarth, plaed to a lbian member of the prime mister's policy board about "the aggrsive homosexual muny".

Howarth ma the remarks after Margot Jam, the MP for Stourbridge, said that the legislatn was part of recent chang that have created a level playg fields for everyone regardls of sexual prime mister me unr fire om the anti-gay marriage MP Tim Loughton after his amendment, which would have legalised civil partnerships for heterosexual upl, failed after the al between Labour and the Tori. The erment had ially said would do this no later than five years after the passage of the bill, though the equali mister Maria Miller said the Labour amendment would make ltle practil al meant that the ernment amendment, altered by Labour, was approved by 391 to 57 vot, a majory of Miller dited that the review uld end up leadg to the aboln of civil partnerships once gay marriage be legal. But the prime mister voted ernment time to the gay marriage legislatn the belief that would help reach out to centre ground voters who may feel unfortable about supportg a party whose lear voted favour of the retentn of sectn 28 as recently as 10 years ago.

It was a breakthrough iated by David Cameron, who took over a highly homophobic Conservative Party that had implemented sectn 28 1988 durg the Thatcher years. Why was he so termed to enact such a law when the Conservative Party had adopted an anti-gay stance before, as, for example, the late 1950s durg the bate on the Wolfenn Report3, or the Thatcher years wh sectn 284, which subsequently led to s beg lled “the nasty party” by Thera May 20025? 2 All the more remarkably here was a Brish Conservative Prime Mister llg for equaly for gay people, at the same time as a socialist ernment France, havg passed the same law 2013, was stgglg agast a fierce opposn om an array of right-wg forc.

MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

In Bra, the same-sex marriage law brought to pletn a procs lnched by the 1957 Wolfenn report: had taken gay people fifty-six years to “make the journey om prison cell to the altar”6.

DAVID CAMERON: MY WIFE SAMANTHA NVCED ME TO TRODUCE GAY MARRIAGE

All of the gay Conservative MPs were terviewed by Michael Mcman and poted out Cameron’s ccial role changg the party’s attu to gay rights. I attend the Bournemouth nference where he ma his first learship speech, and he spoke of gay people and their relatnships equal terms. This paper aims to explore Cameron’s personal journey makg the Conservative Party more gay-iendly and to expla why this new form of Conservatism fs wh the iology of the Lib Dems (the Conservativ’ ally the aln).

To rry out this analysis, Cameron’s evolvg stance on gay matters should be acunted for as a long procs startg before his electn as the lear of the party 2005. His personal journey regardg gay rights enpsulat all the tensns wh his party to sta both a moral tradn and dividual liberty, which T. 5David Cameron had to face opposn om a large factn of his party, but managed to rencile the ias of the tradn of marriage, while at the same time enhancg the liberty of gay upl to make the choice, as a right, to get married.

7 John O’Sullivan20 argued that tradnal inti might be jeopardised by non-tradnal on, such as gay fai which reprented an unrmg threat to tradnal fai21. In the 1960s, she supported an amendment on crimalisg homosexualy between nsentg male adults on the grounds that the State should not terfere the private sphere22. In the 1980s however, she stnchly opposed the promotn of a gay life style so as to protect the nuclear fay: “Homosexual activists have moved om seekg a right of privacy to mandg social approval for the ‘gay’ liftyle, equal stat wh the heterosexual fay and even the legal right to explo the sexual uncertaty of adolcents”23.

DAVID CAMERON: INTRODUCG GAY MARRIAGE ONE OF MY ‘PROUST MOMENTS’

At the 1987 Conservative Party nference, Thatcher clared: “Children who need to be tght to rpect tradnal moral valu are beg tght that they have the alienable right to be gay”24. More generally, she blamed teachers, cultural workers, progrsive policians and tellectuals general for promotg homosexualy, which sectn 28 aimed to prevent25. ) Sectn 28 supporters thought that the latter “had origated the gay male space and had subsequently spread to the heterosexual space.

) They spoke about the heterosexual natn as if were a body whose immune system had to ward off the dangero homosexual vis which threatened to va the natn om the immoral si. The Conservativ had then embarked on a moral csa to fend the mol of heterosexual fai and their schoolchildren agast the promotn of homosexualy.

Thera May acunts for this by potg out the party’s will to prerve a major totem om the Thatcher era, even though was “homophobic”: “The sectn 28 bate was very much a haner om a prev era and the party was not a mood for throwg over what had prevly done ernment.

DAVID CAMERON: ‘I SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE BEE I AM A CONSERVATIVE’

29 At that time, the Conservative Party was no way ready to acmodate a more tolerant approach to gay people at the st of a polil break wh Thatcherism and polil urage.

LABOUR SAV DAVID CAMERON'S GAY MARRIAGE BILL

10More generally speakg, the different lears of the Conservative Party sce 1997 and up until Cameron’s learship had been eher emollient, ambiguo or hostile to gay rights31. They numbered 145 (73%) pared wh only 28 mornisers among whom was David Cameron, which acunts for a fierce Tory majory opposed to gay rights at the time36. She was strongly supported by former Home Secretary David Waddgton, whose ment the Hoe of Lords December 1999 enpsulat all the homophobic feelgs om the Tory Party:.

Dpe a three-le whip for a ntroversial bill (adoptn by unmarried and gay upl) November 2002, over 30 Tory MPs stayed away, among whom was David Cameron.

This iated a “ntamatn’ phase”, acrdg to Tim Bale, – wh “Cameron’s sistence on rpectg the rights of, and acrdg due rpect to homosexuals”39. 15 By reposng his party and llg for equaly on issu such as gay rights, he proved to be tune wh changg – and creasgly more tolerant – popular opn.

GAY RIGHTS AND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY AS “THE NASTY PARTY” THE OPPOSN YEARS BEFORE CAMERON’S LEARSHIP (1997-2005)

For example, a 2007 Ipsos MORI showed that the percentage of people believg gay upl should be allowed to get married creased om 46% 2000 to 68% 200743.

Kieron O’Hara ntends that “homosexual actns beg cricised by the Tori affect no one other than the dividual volved (and other nsentg adults). As a matter of fact, he add that the Conservativ should not support reprsive legislatn agast homosexualy, but should stead rpect the anic chang an creasgly liberal society – even if they privately plore them47 –, and create the image of a party which would longer be seen as an anti-gay party.

They had supported the repeal of Sectn 28, backed civil partnerships for gay upl and the equal treatment of homosexual and heterosexual upl adoptn law. Tony Blair wrote his memoirs that the Tori were fluenced by New Labour to change their attus on gay rights wh the emergence of a new polil paradigm:.

DAVID CAMERON SAYS LEGALISG GAY MARRIAGE WAS ONE OF HIS REER HIGHLIGHTS - FOR AN EXTRA SPECIAL REASON

Cameron showed that he really wanted more equaly for gay people and by troducg a bill on same-sex marriage he was ser about addrsg LGBT rights.

22 In the n-up to the 2010 General electn, the two ma parti now formg the aln promised their maniftos to stggle agast hate crim agast homosexuals or to make Bra a more equal untry55.

WHY DAVID CAMERON BACKS GAY MARRIAGEWHY DAVID CAMERON BACKS GAY MARRIAGE—AND WHAT THE GOP N LEARN OM HIM. BY ALEX MASSIE.ALEX MASSIEUPDATED JUL. 13, 2017 9:19PM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 19, 2011 2:59PM EDT ANDREW WNG, RTERS / LANDOVIF EVER YOU NEED REMDG THAT BRA AND THE UNED STAT ARE DIVID BY A MON LANGUAGE, NSIR THE FACT THAT A CONSERVATIVE-LED ERNMENT LONDON NOW ENDORS GAY MARRIAGE. AS NTENRS FOR THE REPUBLIN PARTY'S PRINTIAL NOMATN SIST THAT SAME-SEX MARRIAG MT STROY MARRIAGE, THEIR NSERVATIVE UNTERPARTS BRA ARGUE THAT POLICS AND MORALY ALIKE REQUIRE THE ERNMENT TO M TO LEGALIZG GAY MARRIAG.CONSEQUENTLY DAVID CAMERON'S ERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED A NSULTATN ON TRODUCG LEGISLATN LEGALIZG SAME-SEX MARRIAG BEFORE THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTN, SCHLED FOR 2015. CCIALLY, THE NSULTATN IS NOT A MATTER OF "WHETHER" TO WELE GAY UPL TO THE MARAL FOLD BUT "HOW" TO DO SO. IT IS A WELE VELOPMENT.SUPPORTG GAY MARRIAGE, THOUGH TOO MUCH FOR THE CSTIER BREED OF NSERVATIVE, IS NEVERTHELS A SOUND TORY PRCIPLE: MMENT NNOT BE TERMED BY SEXUALY, AND THERE'S NO REASON TO NY OR REFE TO RPECT THE SCERY AND VALUE OF SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS. A POLIL PARTY THAT BELIEV THE VALUE OF MARRIAGE SHOULD NOT BE RTRICTG S BENEFS TO HETEROSEXUAL UPL.SO THIS VELOPMENT SATISFI LIBERAL ASPIRATNS WHILE ALSO, HAPPILY, MONSTRATG THE VALUE OF TIMELS TORY PRCIPL. SOCIETY CHANG, AND THE PROPER SORT OF TORY, HOWEVER MUCH THE PAST ATTRACTS HIM, APPRECIAT THAT NSERVATIV MT ALSO CHANGE IF THEY'RE TO PROTECT THE VALU THEY HOLD MOST AR AND REMA RELEVANT A MUCH-CHANGED WORLD. CAMERON IS KEEPG A PROMISE HE MA WHEN HE BEME TORY LEAR. AS LONG AGO AS 2006, HE CLARED, "THERE'S SOMETHG SPECIAL ABOUT MARRIAGE. IT'S NOT ABOUT RELIGN. IT'S NOT ABOUT MORALY. IT'S ABOUT MMENT. WHEN YOU STAND UP THERE, ONT OF YOUR IENDS AND YOUR FAY, ONT OF THE WORLD, WHETHER 'S A CHURCH OR ANYWHERE ELSE, WHAT YOU'RE DOG REALLY MEANS SOMETHG. PLEDGG YOURSELF TO ANOTHER MEANS DOG SOMETHG BRAVE AND IMPORTANT. YOU ARE MAKG A MMENT. YOU ARE PUBLICLY SAYG: 'S NOT JT ABOUT 'ME, ME, ME' ANYMORE. IT IS ABOUT WE: TOGETHER, THE TWO OF , THROUGH THICK AND TH. THAT REALLY MATTERS. AND BY THE WAY, MEANS SOMETHG WHETHER YOU'RE A MAN AND A WOMAN, A WOMAN AND A WOMAN, OR A MAN AND ANOTHER MAN."IT ED TO BE SAID THAT THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND WAS THE TORY PARTY AT PRAYER. DOUBTLS REMAS THE SE THAT RELIG BRONS ARE, ALL OTHER MATTERS BEG EQUAL, MORE LIKELY TO VOTE CONSERVATIVE. BUT AS FAR AS CIVIL MARRIAGE IS NCERNED, THERE IS NO NEED TO PANR TO THE OBJECTNS OF A FAHFUL MORY. INED, BRA IS A LARGELY SECULAR SOCIETY THE DAYS AND, AT LEAST AS FAR AS SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS ARE NCERNED, A MUCH MORE CIVILIZED PLACE THAN WAS THE SE YEARS GONE BY.EVEN SO, IS STRIKG HOW QUICKLY SOCIETY HAS CHANGED. HOMOSEXUALY WAS CRIMALIZED ONLY 1967; LS THAN 50 YEARS LATER, A CONSERVATIVE-LED ERNMENT IS PREPARG TO LEGALIZE HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAG. BY DOG SO, ACCEPTS THE ARGUMENT THAT CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS—TRODUCED BY TONY BLAIR'S ERNMENT—ARE AN UNSATISFACTORY PROMISE THAT, ACTUALLY, DO MUCH MORE TO UNRME THE STUTN OF MARRIAGE THAN DO WELG GAY UPL TO THE MARAL NGREGATN.MOREOVER, CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS—A STEP FORWARD AS THEY MAY ONCE HAVE BEEN—STILL FALL SHORT OF FULL EQUALY. ELIMATG THIS DISCREPANCY— SEEMS LIKELY THAT CAMERON'S MISSN WILL REMEND SCRAPPG CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS—REMOV THE STIGMA, HOWEVER MOR MAY HAVE SEEMED TO SOME, OF SEND-CLASS STAT.THE CHURCH MAY DISAGREE. BUT THERE'S NO REASON TO GRANT THEM A VETO OVER THE CIVIL FN OF MARRIAGE. IT IS UNLIKELY CHURCH WILL BE PELLED TO REGNIZE GAY MARRIAG ANY MORE THAN A ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIT MT BE CHEERFULLY EXPECTED TO OFFICIATE AT A PROTTANT MARRIAGE CEREMONY. THOUGH OFTEN NFLATED, THE CIVIL AND RELIG STAMPS OF APPROVAL ARE DIFFERENT, AND THE LATTER NEED NOT BE EXPECTED FOR EVERY BRAND OF CIVIL MARRIAGE.CAMERON'S OFFICE BRIEFED REPORTERS THAT THE ERNMENT'S CISN TO UPGRA SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS OM CIVIL-PARTNERSHIP STAT TO FULL-SLE, NO-HOLDS-BARRED, NO-QUTNS-ASKED MARRIAGE WAS BACKED, AND ED PROMPTED, BY THE PRIME MISTER'S ENTHIASM FOR THE ISSUE.THERE IS A POLIL BENEF TO BE GAED OM THIS, TOO: RERC CAMERON'S OWN BRAND OF "PASSNATE NSERVATISM" AND UNRL THE FACT THAT, NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE MIGHT THK ABOUT HIS ENOMIC POLICY, HE HAS CHANGED THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY FOR REAL AND FOR GOOD.MORE THAN ANYTHG ELSE, HOWEVER, REGNIZ THAT SOCIETY HAS CHANGED AND, RRPONDGLY, SO MT SENSIBLE NSERVATIV. BY DOG SO, THEY MAY MAKE A VIRTUE OUT OF NECSY AND EVABILY WHILE REAFFIRMG THE SENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF MARRIAGE. LOW POLICS AND HIGH PRCIPLE MEET A NVENIENT BUT PASSNATE MARRIAGE OF THEIR OWN. EVENTUALLY, PERHAPS, EVEN THE REPUBLIN PARTY THE UNED STAT WILL APPRECIATE THIS. ALEX MASSIE

As Mart Beckford puts : “Neher Labour nor the Liberal Democrats have ma siar pledg their electn lerature, makg the Tori’ proposal the most progrsive of the three ma parti spe the cricism some leadg ndidat have received over their attus towards homosexualy”58. All all, The Coaln Programme mted the Conservativ and the Lib Dems “to ph for unequivol support for gay rights and for UK civil partnerships to be regnised ternatnally”60 and “to change the law so that historil nvictns for nsensual gay sex wh over 16s will be treated as spent and will not show up on crimal rerds checks”61.

This was the key to makg his party gay-iendlier and more tune wh a changg society and his “passnate nservatism” a more morn brand of Conservatism.

Civil partnerships for gay upl were a great step forward, but the qutn now is whether is any longer acceptable to exclu people om marriage simply bee they love someone of the same sex. Nick Clegg reasserted 2012 that was a long-standg mment of his party and lked “equaly of treatment of gay people” to “Liberalism”:. Let me jt say, if you are a young gay person, your eedom to love who you choose is a fundamental right a liberal society - and you will always have our support.

SAMANTHA CAMERON 'PHED' EX-PRIME MISTER DAVID CAMERON TO BACKG GAY MARRIAGE

Although he praised the reform as a step forward for gay people rried out by the aln, Nick Clegg regretted the homophobic attu of many Tori.

DAVID CAMERON REVEALS HE 'WORRIED AND WOBBLED' OVER GAY MARRIAGE

One may assume that the Lib Dems will e this the n-up to the 2015 general electn to attack the Tori as beg still “nasty” and “homophobic”:. Porn, S., “Conservatisme et moralé: posn progrsiste d’Enoch Powell en favr la dépénalisatn l’homosexualé mascule [1951-1960]”, RFCB, forthg article, 2014. 57 “Gee Osborne says Tori will 'nsir gay marriage”, BBC News, 11 April 2010, 58 Mart Beckod, “Gay Coupl Could be Allowed to Marry unr Tory Electn Plans”, The Telegraph, 4 May 2010, 59 “Lib Dem Lear Speaks up for Same-Sex Marriage”, 4 July 2009,.

GAY MARRIAGE BILL PASSED, SPE TORY OPPOSN

See Stéphane Porn, “Conservatisme et moralé: posn progrsiste d’Enoch Powell en favr la dépénalisatn l’homosexualé mascule [1951-1960]”, RFCB, forthg article, 2014. David Cameron says legalisg gay marriage was one of his reer highlights - for an extra special reasonUnr-prsure Labour lear Jeremy Corbyn said he didn't often see eye-to-eye wh the ex-Conservative lear - but there were some thgs he should be thanked forVio LoadgVio UnavailableGay marriage: Corbyn and Cameron's mon groundOutgog PM David Cameron today explaed how legalisg gay marriage led to one of his favoure moments the job. He told MPs at his fal PMQs this lunchtime that there are 30, 000 gay people our untry who the last six years have been able to get married, clarg "real progrs".

If ever you need remdg that Bra and the Uned Stat are divid by a mon language, nsir the fact that a Conservative-led ernment London now endors gay marriage.