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Gay Marriage discussion

Miss Caphat

Miss Caphat

I want it that way
I was very shocked to learn that the UK had legalized gay marriage today, because I hadn't heard a thing about it on here. :confused:
Am I missing something? Why no celebrations or discussion?

(apols for sounding like I'm accusing you of being rampant homophobes :facepalm: ..I don't mean it that way at all I am just genuinely curious)
 
There was oddly little coverage on the BBC either - I only found out by accident as I subscribed to the Parliament e-mail updates on the issue, although I knew it would be this week at some point. Maybe it was seen as such a foregone conclusion no-one is getting excited about it. :confused:
 
Yeah it was. Probably not a big fuss made because it had already been voted on a few weeks ago - the length of time between then and now is just to allow the process of becoming law to take place (ie. pass through the lords and get royal ascent). Also the UK won't be ready to start doing same sex marriage ceremonies until next summer so unlike California in recent days there won't be a rush down to the marriage offices just yet.

Also, it's not as divisive an issue in the UK as the US, religious groups aren't as significant, 'civil partnerships' have afforded the same rights for a while in law as marriage does to straight couples so it doesn't change much legally speaking. It's a label thing more than a watershed moment in gay rights movement.
 
The religious groups (with some honourable exceptions) kicked up a fair fuss here though, although you are right that they just aren't as influential here - thankfully!

I do wonder whether vociferous groups like the catholic church realise yet that the more they kick off about gay equality, the more they annoy people and make them side with equality? They've consistently lost the argument in country after country. :D

Its amazing to see how far equality has advanced since I was young - and its nice to see some good news for once. :cool:
 
yeah I know there was controversy about it there, in 2003-ish during the time Massachusetts had legalized gay marriage I was in Scotland and got some funny remarks about it from people there.
It is definitely great that things are turning around in more and more countries though...definitely something to celebrate :)
 
DotCommunist said:
pretty sure you still can't get same sexed married in a CofE or RC church
Click to expand...

Given their attitude to the whole issue of gay marriage and associated equality issues for gay people, I always find it amazing that anyone would want to. But I understand it may be important for those who are of that religion which is fair enough.

I suspect the CofE will catch up eventually and change its canon law, but hell will freeze over before the RC church does.
 
RedDragon said:
As I understand it, even if the CofE changed ist mind tomorrow in favour of conducting gay marriages they'd have to seek a change in law in order to do so.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

That's what I gather too - they'd have to change their own canon law and it would need new primary legislation to remove the legal bar.
 
Miss Caphat said:
yeah I know there was controversy about it there, in 2003-ish during the time Massachusetts had legalized gay marriage I was in Scotland and got some funny remarks about it from people there.
It is definitely great that things are turning around in more and more countries though...definitely something to celebrate :)
Click to expand...


Equal marriage will be legalised here in Scotland next year I think.
 
RedDragon said:
As I understand it, even if the CofE changed ist mind tomorrow in favour of conducting gay marriages they'd have to seek a change in law in order to do so.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

theres been some triple locked bollocks to make this so, a specific exemption for the RC and CofE.
 
I like with how little fuss this went through when compared to France.

That said, its the one thing that has dominated the 'gay news' for the last couple of years and while I'm all for equality for my friends who want to get married it's not really my (gay) battle. I'm more the 'free make-up for drag queens' and 'bring back decent poppers' type of gay campaigner. As someone who doesn't believe in marriage for gay or straight people (especially not getting married in a church) I'm a bit tired of the issue and that's why this almost passed even me by.
 
what? poppers are a gay issue now? I always used them for a cheeky headrush while tanning low quality beer.
 
It seems a long wait between royal assent and the first marriage though, does all legislation have this?

I was pretty aware of progress through the gay press, and I'm quite looking forward to getting gay married next year. In the mean time I need to figure out how to trade up my Brazilian civil partnership to a marriage, which I'm told we can do.
 
Reno said:
We gays were popper pioneers and we were snorting them for bum sex long before the straights caught on to them. They were so popular on the gay scene that initially poppers was thought to be the reason for HIV/AIDS.
Click to expand...

turned out to be the CIA of course, targeting heems, free love hippies and intravenous drug users. *fist shake*
 
pseudonarcissus said:
It seems a long wait between royal assent and the first marriage though, does all legislation have this?

I was pretty aware of progress through the gay press, and I'm quite looking forward to getting gay married next year. In the mean time I need to figure out how to trade up my Brazilian civil partnership to a marriage, which I'm told we can do.
Click to expand...

This is quite common with primary legislation. The Act is passed but can either come into force immediately, after a set delay or need a commencement order to be laid in the House. Commencement orders are Statutory Instruments (SI), which are secondary legislation.

Some Acts have contain many clauses that individually need to be brought into force in this way, that is, by order of the relevant Secretary of State (these are 'the regulations' which sit underneath the Act itself), and some of these clauses never actually get brought into force. So while they are on the statute book they are never fully enacted if you like.

Some info on what happens here:

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws/passage-bill/lords/lrds-royal-assent/

I don't know if the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act requires bringing into force by an SI (haven't read the Act since an early draft), but it wouldn't surprise me if it did.

And here is the Act itself:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/30/contents/enacted
 
It's because the law change is gradual; Royal Assent was just the final stamp of approval. Before that was it passing through the Lords and before that were multiple readings in the HoC. Getting voted through in the HoC was what was really significant, because after that fairly decisive result the rest was just a formality. The victory in the HoC was widely reported on.

Also the word "marriage" isn't as big a deal here as it seems to be in the US. Our Civil Partnerships were virtually indistinguishable from marriage - them coming into existence was much more significant than this.
 
A lot of the religious spokespeople were saying how this was 'redefining' marriage and it would spoil things for religious heteros because they won't be special anymore and won't be able to feel the soothing balm of superiority. So my question is, will the outspoken priests and monsignors and mullahs now be advising their flock not to get married as the institution has been devalued etc?
 
Miss Caphat said:
I was very shocked to learn that the UK had legalized gay marriage today, because I hadn't heard a thing about it on here. :confused: Am I missing something? Why no celebrations or discussion?
Click to expand...
Mainly because it's the tail end of what has been an exhausting process. I'm saving my celebration until the first couple actually get hitched. :D
 
I just can't help thinking 'meh' about the whole thing? You can do exactly the same thing as you could which was made legal in 2005, a vastly more significant step I feel, but now you can call it a wedding instead of a civil partnership? Errr...congratulations. I just think civil partnerships kept everyone happy, except the catholic church of course but they're happy about nothing...well some things but let's not get into that, and, obviously, a number of gays who wanted it to be called a marriage? I mean it's literally just the language that's changed isn't it?
 
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