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Gay Marriage

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
So gay marriage has passed and as prophesied hetrosexual marriages all over the UK are crumbling...

I'm really pleased this has gone through as it means we're one step closer to proper equality. Though I doubt I'm likely to ruffle too many feathers with that opinion around TheSite! Some of the arguments against it were the most ludicrous clutching at straws I've ever come across.

I was doing a few quick sums this morning and the vote broke down as follows:

45% of Conservatives voted against.
9% of Labour voted against.
7% of Lib Dems voted against.

Anyone any other thoughts on the matter?
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I sent my MP two emails, one before asking him to support the bill. He didn't. One after telling him I was disappointed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Now I can marry a gayer I don't need no woman any more.

    Um.

    I'm just still howling with laughter at the Church of England shouting about the "sancity of marriage". There's a delicious irony in a Church, set up so a King could go fuck another woman, saying that gay marriage will destroy the sanctity of marriage.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am still genuinely surprised by how many voted no.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I hope the people who voted against look back in 20 years when marriage hasn't changed at all and feel a bit embarrassed by themselves.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote: »
    I sent my MP two emails, one before asking him to support the bill. He didn't. One after telling him I was disappointed.

    How do we find out?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the conservative vote shows something interesting that I have suspected for a while. Despite us feeling that we are a modern, progressive country, there is still a powerful hardcore of traditionalists to put it gently. It's almost like the republican/Democrat split in the US, except here I expect rather than being 50/50, the powerful traditionalist lobby constitutes a minority of the population. But, small numbers of powerful people having a large influence is nothing new.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am still genuinely surprised by how many voted no.

    For Labour and the Lib Dems less than one in ten people voted no. It's the Conservatives who made up the vast majority of the votes against, and is that really surprising?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not surprising at all.

    Conservatism is a mental disability and there's only one cure: an injection of lead fed into their temple at high speed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    im really glad that gay marriage is now legalised us gays should never be treated any different to a hetrosexual marriage. as i say whats different between a gay couple love and a hetrosexual couple love. NOTHING . xx
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Its not legalised... it only passed the commons.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote: »
    Its not legalised... it only passed the commons.
    it is legalised i read it on the news.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You didn't read it properly then. The bill has only passed a vote in the house of commons. Its not law yet and gay marriage isn't legal yet.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How do we find out?

    The beeb have got a vote breakdown, its where I read it. But votes are usually released in a range of places
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    theyworkforyou.com is usually a good place to start looking.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Clearly the only permitted opinions are the 'popular' ones. True democracy in action.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CM Punk wrote: »
    Clearly the only permitted opinions are the 'popular' ones. True democracy in action.

    Would you like to elaborate?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just bustin some balls... good call Fiend
    Thank you for your email to Martin Horwood MP.

    Martin did not vote on the equal marriage bill last night as he had an important meeting with constituents in Cheltenham on the effects of the government's welfare reforms. This meeting had already been rearranged once and had to go ahead. We only know parliamentary business a week or so in advance and this had been arranged before that. We checked with our Whips office to see if there was any chance of the bill being defeated and they said no. As I said Martin is 100% in favour of equal marriage and will vote for the bill at all its subsequent parliamentary stages and looks forward to it becoming law.

    David Fidgeon
    Assistant to Martin Horwood MP



    Original Message
    From: Richard ---
    Sent: 06 February 2013 11:11
    To: Martin Horwood MP
    Subject: Letter from your constituent Richard ---



    Richard ---
    ---
    Cheltenham
    Gloucestershire
    ---

    Email: ---

    Wednesday 6 February 2013

    Dear Martin Horwood,

    I'm writing with regard to the Gay Marriage bill recently put towards parliament, and would like to register my disappointment that you did not vote for this bill despite it passing.

    I understand you have given your support to the bill through other channels and have regretted being unable to attend - but perhaps at the next general election you too would be disappointed if Lib Dem voters such as myself gave our support in words, but didn't turn out to vote.

    Yours sincerely,

    Richard ---
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    Just bustin some balls... good call Fiend

    My MP for home didn't vote either. Hmm.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As I mentioned in another thread, there's a strong "If you're not feverishly for us then you're rabidly against us" vibe on TheSite and that's been reflected on many other forums I use.

    The attitude towards the 126 or whatever has been downright disgusting. It's as if anyone voting against the Bill is a raving "Kill all poofs!!" type. Some of them may well be anti-gay, who knows. But the vote was a simple yes/no so if any of them were not actually "grab your pitchfork, let's murder some gays" types then it was unfair, they get labelled as 'homophobes".

    It could be they felt the time isn't right for gay marriage, they may have genuine debatable misgivings for voting no but the vitriol aimed their way is childish and absolute hypocrisy.

    I'm not saying MPs are beyond criticism - hell I'll slag them off all day - but it's more of the "If you're not with us you're against us" mentality that I can't stand.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's basically what Anne Widdecombe has been saying. That because they are voting against something which is broadly seen as the fairest way forward, that they are being demonised as bigots.

    The problem is, well, they don't have a good argument for why they are voting against it except bigotry. (I actually understand the conservatives are having a tough time as they are the party that represents traditionalists, unfortunately many of whom will be bigots).

    One example of a strong argument: Gay Marriage is "Wrong on principle" - Bob Blackman
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    .

    The problem is, well, they don't have a good argument for why they are voting against it except bigotry.

    You were doing really well until you got to that point.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CM Punk wrote: »
    You were doing really well until you got to that point.

    I am happy to sympathise with them if they have a good reason why they shouldn't be labelled as bigots for voting in what appears to be a bigoted way. It would be like me promoting segregation and then being upset when people call me racist. Maybe there's a non-racist, happy reason for segregation. I think its reasonable for people to call you out for holding a position that appears to be bigoted.

    As is, they've just said they're pretty upset by all the harsh names people have called them. Aww diddums :(

    The only arguments I've seen are that it's 'ideologically wrong' etc.

    I would also strongly disagree that there's a 'if you're not strongly with us you're against us vibe'. People aren't being heckled because they're not joining in with the pride parade - they're being called out on their shit for voting to deny a human right (as per UN) based on someone's sexuality.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    I am happy to sympathise with them if they have a good reason why they shouldn't be labelled as bigots for voting in what appears to be a bigoted way. It would be like me promoting segregation and then being upset when people call me racist. Maybe there's a non-racist, happy reason for segregation. I think its reasonable for people to call you out for holding a position that appears to be bigoted.

    As is, they've just said they're pretty upset by all the harsh names people have called them. Aww diddums :(

    The only arguments I've seen are that it's 'ideologically wrong' etc.

    I would also strongly disagree that there's a 'if you're not strongly with us you're against us vibe'. People aren't being heckled because they're not joining in with the pride parade - they're being called out on their shit for voting to deny a human right (as per UN) based on someone's sexuality.

    The thing is you just don't know what their reasons are. I have no idea if any of them have gone public with their individual views but you (and others) have decided it's simply easier to write them off as 'bigots'. Circular reasoning must surely be the next step.

    "If you're not with us...."
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's the Conservatives who made up the vast majority of the votes against, and is that really surprising?

    The Conservatives are revolting!

    (sorry)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But as MPs they represent us, so need to be able to explain their reasons for their votes.

    I havent yet seen a reason, which leads me to infer bigotry. If someone can point me towards a better argument then I'll listen to it, but haven't found one myself.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But as MPs they represent us, so need to be able to explain their reasons for their votes.

    Absolutely, no arguments there.
    I havent yet seen a reason, which leads me to infer bigotry. If someone can point me towards a better argument then I'll listen to it, but haven't found one myself.

    So in the absence of a reason you create one? Sounds more like an agenda at work to be honest.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CM Punk wrote: »
    The thing is you just don't know what their reasons are. I have no idea if any of them have gone public with their individual views but you (and others) have decided it's simply easier to write them off as 'bigots'. Circular reasoning must surely be the next step.

    You don't know what their reasons are unless you watched the debate on it in parliament, you mean? If any of them have got some ground-breaking non-bigoted reason for opposing gay marriage, you'd think this would've been the perfect time to bring it out. But I haven't heard of anything particularly new, and all of the old arguments I've heard have ultimately been based on bigotry (or appeasing those with bigoted views and the power to decide whether you have a job). Of course, I didn't watch the entire day's debate, so feel free to point to any arguments put forth that you think qualify as non-bigoted reasons for opposing gay marriage.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You don't know what their reasons are unless you watched the debate on it in parliament, you mean? If any of them have got some ground-breaking non-bigoted reason for opposing gay marriage, you'd think this would've been the perfect time to bring it out. But I haven't heard of anything particularly new, and all of the old arguments I've heard have ultimately been based on bigotry (or appeasing those with bigoted views and the power to decide whether you have a job).

    Again, so in the absence of a reason it's easier to assume one. Hell you might even be right. But this stinks of a witch-hunt.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CM Punk wrote: »
    Again, so in the absence of a reason it's easier to assume one.

    There's no absence of reasons at all. The reasons to oppose gay marriage are widely publicized, and every one of them is steeped in bigotry.
This discussion has been closed.