Two Front Attack On Equal Partnership Rights Continues

In Scotland we have the announcement from the Church of Scotland (although almost certainly not "official" given the lack of oversight from their conference) that they will oppose marriage equality. Hardly a surprise, but another sign of the faithful joining forces to oppose religious freedom for other churches and individual freedom.

Below we have a video of Wednesday's Scotland for Marriage rally, featuring some bizarre arguments against marriage equality. It seemed almost to be just a lot of talking for talking's sake.

There are claims in the video that marriage equality will be destructive by putting off opposite-sex couples from marrying or making those already married feel sullied. To be frank, if your marriage is reliant on the "wholesomeness" of other's marriages then you may as well get divorced now. If your marriage doesn't stand on it's own merits, it doesn't stand at all!

It's a long set of hateful, intolerant ranting without logic or sense. At around 12 minutes we get the polygamy argument again! BINGO!

 

South of the border at Westminster, further to this month's action in the Lords, Edward Leigh, Conservative MP for Gainsborough has put forward an Early Day Motion with the same aim of scuppering religious civil partnerships. Yet again I must ask: if your aim is to protect those who don't wish to carry out such civil partnerships then why not put forward an amendment to the Equality Act rather than to try and scupper religious civil partnerships in general? No this is another wrecking motion put forward dishonestly by those who do not have the courage of their convictions to proclaim their homophobia (and hatred of civil partnerships in general) out loud. Cowards as well as homophones. There is a surprise. Here's the list of the usual suspects supporting the EDM so far.

Bone, Peter Conservative Party

Brazier, Julian Conservative Party 

Bruce, Fiona Conservative Party

Dorries, Nadine Conservative Party

Jackson, Stewart Conservative Party

Leigh, Edward Conservative Party 

Pritchard, Mark Conservative Party 

Robertson, Laurence Conservative Party

Turner, Andrew Conservative Party

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The Language Of Homophobia: From Summerskill To Leigh

Way back in July 2009 we had Ben Summerskill saying, in arguing against marriage equality,:

'"Well, the issue on marriage is that again, there are a lot of vocal supporters, but the thing they've always focused on is actually the real rights and entitlements. As I said, we know there are quite a lot of gay and lesbian people who wouldn't want marriage, and some have explicitly said so. I think Antony Sher [the gay actor and playwright] gave an interview a while back where he said 'If it was marriage, I wouldn't want it. It recognises what's special about me and my partner.' And we know there are lots of lesbians who actually don't want marriage."'

Two years later we have Edward Leigh, Tory MP and homophobe, pointing out the same issue in his arguments against marriage equality:

“Why must they also have the language of marriage? No doubt because it is an important symbol to them. But it is also an important symbol to many other people. Must the religious and cultural heritage of the whole nation be overturned to suit the demands of a minority even of the gay community itself?”

I'm sure there's no direct link between the two but isn't it concerning that the head of one of the biggest LGB rights organisations believes pretty much the same stuff as a social conservative? Very worrying indeed.

As for Edward Leigh's other arguments, they are all derived from the usual rubbish spewed by US social conservatives. He really needs to get some new arguments. If marriage equality is on a slippery slope to polygamy and bestiality, then marriage itself is the start of that slope. The argument is so stupid it hurts my head to even consider it. And does he not know there already plenty of countries where marriage equality exists and these things HAVEN'T happened???

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