Same sex marriage bill

its all pretty obvious the "normal" couple is a man and a woman and marriage is designed for the procreation of children.

If that were not the natural state of things then it would not take a man and a woman to create a new life. To see people like Elton John paying surrogate mother to have babies for them sicken me. Yes they will have every financial advantage but no mum!!

Sadly for them as I have many friends whos sons are homosexual it is never any easy route for them.

Of course we are all entitled to our own beliefs and opinions.

I do not think it is prejudice Greatnan it is just a fact that marriage between same sex partners is not the normal way of things.
have to agree with mollie65 on this one.

Civil partnerships are quite adequate.

Yes, we will just have to agree to differ. According to the Office for National Statistics 1.5% of people in Britain are homosexual, and given the fact that many older men are reluctant to admit their sexuality because of past prejudice, I suspect the true number is much higher. About 6% of English people have red hair. I don't think either group of people is abnormal, and it is very painful for my friends who are either gay or have gay children to have them called abnormal. Nobody chooses their sexuality, any more than they choose the colour of their eyes. I am not sure what gives one group of people the right to say another group is not normal.
Perhaps I have misunderstood your post and you are just saying that gay marriage is not normal. Agreed it is not yet a common event, but that will change over time.
If a civil partnership and marriage are identical, why not let gay people choose marriage if that is what they want?

The word 'empathy' is bandied about by some members - I can enter into the feelings of gay people and their friends and relations and I would ask for others to feel the same way.

Mollie - can you tell me how you think allowing gay marriage will impinge on your own life in any way? I would genuinely like to know what consequences you think will flow from a change in the law. Nobody will try to force anybody into such a partnership and I cannot understand why people want to deny it to others.
I am talking about civil marriages - as an atheist, I leave the Churches to sort out their own arrangements.

greatnan while respecting your views I disagree. It is not normal. It is not and never should be illegal. But it is a personal choice of lifestyle just as I choose to consider one man/woman in a marriage a personal choice.
why does one's sense of normality as regards marriage (by the accepted meaning of the word) have to be denied.
It is my personal opinion and I am not denying two people's loving relationship but don't call it marriage. As civil partners they can adopt children, have IVF, claim pensions etc. - no-one is denying them that.

mollie - homosexuality is normal. The current style of marriage is relatively new in human history and is still not universal. If two people wish to be be committed to each other in a loving relationship, why deny them?

What's wrong with giving people the choice? Many of us on GN grew up when homosexulity was illegal.Now people have a choice - no-one is foced to be gay and individual churches will make their own choices about conducting gay weddings. I do have a problem with the concept of normal - I look at some 'normal' hetrosexual marriages and shudder!

marriage is for a man and a woman. Partnerships civil or otherwise are for all other combinations. It is not discrimination as civil partnerships endow the participants with all the benefits of a proper marriage as regards benefits.pensions etc.
the normal is the normal - do not change it.

yes greatnan - so often legislation has to lead, not wait for everyone to change first

I don't care what the Tories' motives are - I am just glad that another bit of discrimination is likely to disappear.

Maria Miller not impressivr but compared to many of the male MPs contributing.....I use the word loosely.