to feel despair at the gay marriage vote

As a lesbian, mother and grandmother of four, I do feel terribly dismayed at some of the beliefs and attitudes expressed towards the idea of "gay" marriage. I believe in marriage between two people who love one another and are committed to each other, and who want the same rights as everyone else. After all, we have the same responsibilities which we take very seriously.. I remember with a shudder when intermarriage was frowned on, when inter racial couples were subjected to the most awful hatred and bigotry. Thankfully times have changed and we no longer have to live with such small minded attitudes. Shame on you so called Christians...where is love, acceptance and tolerance? Fortunately, in my own community my partner of 8 years and I will be able to marry and I look forward to it.

That is great gran4 and welcome. I think the "fors" are in the majority on this thread?
You must be looking forward to the full legislation being made law so you can plan a great celebration.

I think many of us will be celebrating with and for you, gran4.

Just so Gran4. Sadly many inter racial marriages are still not always accepted and I may say even sometimes different parts of the 'christian' religions (e.g. catholic/protestant). Also know of a couple ,jewish and catolic who have been dissowned by one side.

Thanks. I appreciate these messages!

I think you have hit the nail on the head Greatnan and ginny my mum just doesn't understand that anyone can be a homosexual at all. She once commented to me that "people who turned gay were just bored and wanted a change" .

I must point out that she is a lovely gentle lady who is extremely naive and has a very blinkered view of the world.

My daughters best friend lives with her female partner and they had a civil partnership ceremony las year. My mum still asks "yes but which one is the boy?"

Thank you, gran4!!

OUr local paper has on the front page a positive accolade for our gay tory MP who spoke in favour of the bill. It is an extremely positive and sympathetic piece. The other tory MP for the other side of the city voted against. This gets a separate and disapproving mention on an inside page.
here's the article. Never thought I'd see the day
Here it is:
www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/local/how-mp-iain-stewart-became-an-internet-sensation-after-same-sex-marriage-speech-1-4761835

The times are a'changing, Jess

Do you think anything we have said has changed mollie's outlook?

I would sincerely hope so Greatnan but sadly she may not be around to find out.

Well I'll miss chatting to her about my dog . So, if she does read this, please stay mollie.

I have absolutely no problem with gay marriage - but I am not a Christian. I can understand why Christians do find it difficult, as it does undermine what they have been taught and the Bible though. One reason I couldn't be a Christian myself

And yet - I do have misgiving about adoption by gay couples.

Yes. I'm not so sure about a same sex couple raising a child. I think a mother/father family is better for that.

Surely that depends on the mother/father family? I see no reason why a same sex couple should not make perfectly good, loving parents.

No. It's an inbalance. A child needs one of each. Of course there are good and bad parents, hetero or otherwise. But that doesn't make any difference to the fact.

Why are Christians being highlighted in objecting to gay marriage? If the Christian church disapproves that's fine. Moslems, Jews etc are also against it and that's fine too. If gay couples want to be married in a secular registry office, fine, no problem. They can be married and still true to whatever faith they wish to follow.

SUSSEXPOET... yes I agree with you about the anomaly in the law and have mentioned it on this and another thread , as it is close to my heart, but you are the only one who seems to agree. Indeed many people ( even a gay man that I spoke to today), do not realise that this is the case, and do not recognise the inequality of refusing hetero couples a civil partnership.

I agree too. The French have a better 2 tier system - civil ceremony for everyone and then religious as well if you want it. Extend the civil ceremony to all kinds of partnerships I say.
I think part of the issue in the UK is the fact that the C of E is established and therefore thinks they should have a say in the laws of the land

Jess I think you've got it right. Much as I like tradition and 'Britishness' perhaps it's time that the Church of England withdrew from it's privileged position in the politics of the UK. We have such a variety of religions now it seems unfair to give the C of E such a high status.

When people talk about marriage being such a beautiful and sacred thing, I ponder that when I got married in 1969, I was in fact giving my husband the legal right to rape me! (To be fair, he never did!)

But isn't it lucky that gay marriage didn't come in before 1991 (when marital rape became a crime in the UK) ; with a same-sex couple, how could they have worked out who now had the right to rape whom?

Agapanthus - please see my post where I said I agreed with you too.

Me too. Yet another reason to disestablish the church from the state. Then the church can just be a private club and can rapped on the knuckles when it interferes with public life.

Yup. If the C of E or any other church/faith don't want to play, just withdraw their licences to conduct legal marriage ceremonies. Just have licences for those who will marry everyone and let the rest do their ceremonies for those that want the religious top up.
Do those who officiate in non christian temples etc have a licence?

From what I can see far fewer young heterosexuals are marrying while lesbians have flocked to engage in civil patrnerships and will no doubt marry in due course.

I'm ecstatic the Tories have been shown to be in disarray over this issue.