Sadly the Tories couldn't be content with keeping silent and thus taking the moral high ground. No, they must send in Nick Herbert to say they've joined the progressive consensus on gay rights. Joy. Welcome to the "we don't support gay marriage or believe in allowing gay men to give blood" club. Very progressive.
When David Cameron used his first conference speech as party leader to talk about the importance of marriage, he added that the commitment was as important for gay couples as for those who are straight.
I'm sure Mr Herbert would not be trying to purposefully mix up words here in order to confuse us. But when he mentions "the importance of marriage" and then "the commitment" one might thing he thinks the commitment is marriage and by default suggests the Tories are suggesting marriage reform of some sort. Of course this is NOT the case and I think it rather poor of Mr Herbert to not choose his words more carefully. What Nick Herbert doesn't seem to realise is that throughout this article he is not suggesting the Tories are better than Labour when it comes to human rights. No, he's suggesting they are JUST AS BAD.
"I'm sorry," he said. "We got it wrong … I hope you can forgive us." Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay rights group Stonewall, described the apology as "a remarkably positive step forward". In telling contrast, Harriet Harman could not bring herself to welcome it. Don't be fooled, she said, and anyway it's all too late.
Oh yes, an endorsement from Mr Summerskill, self appointed leader of the gays who doesn't even support gay equality!!
The worst thing is the Tories engaged Labour, and decided to play tit for tat politics with a sensitive human rights issue for a minority group. They could of said "We're not playing your petty silly games". But no, same old Tories. It's time to stop focussing on gays and lesbians (there's enough of us keeping an eye on things thank you very much, we don't need the Tories to start sticking their oars in where they aren't wanted) and start talking about human rights for all. The Tories should be the natural home for libertarians yet the Tories seem completely unwilling to consider more personal freedom and seem more intent on the corporate freedom and "minority group" representation so adored by New Labourites. When will we individuals get our freedom to be who and what we want to be without Government referring to our Government appointed "community leaders"? No time soon if the Labour-Conservative hegemony continues.
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2 comments:
I love that line "Oh yes, an endorsement from Mr Summerskill, self appointed leader of the gays who doesn't even support gay equality!! "
Did he know that he was the self appointed leader of gays. ????
Hopefully not as it would be awful to think he was intentionally trying to stop me and those like me getting married.
I'm sorry if you are offended by my criticism of Ben Summerskill and Stonewall but how can I ever say anything nice about an organisation that supposedly cherishes gay rights but doesn't support gay marriage equality? I'm sorry if it upsets me to see members of that organisation hobnobbing with the rich and powerful at parties before a pride parade whilst the people they are meant to be helping live without the same human rights as their neighbours, their friends and their family.
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