Ban on same-sex marriage must be lifted
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Marriage equality is litmus test of David Cameron’s commitment to gay rights
Peter Tatchell
The Independent – London – 15 June 2010
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/peter--tatchell-ban-on-samesex-marriage-must-be-lifted-2000521.html
When David Cameron hosts gay community leaders at Downing Street
tomorrow night the elephant in the room will be the ban on same-sex
civil marriage. It is the last homophobic law in the UK. The coalition
government, despite its professed support for gay equality, is refusing
to repeal it.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg supports same-sex marriage but he sacrificed
it as part of his deal with the Conservatives. So we are left with a
Prime Minister and Deputy who talk gay rights but who are unwilling to
abolish the one remaining law that discriminates against lesbian and
gay people – even when the abolition of this law has strong public
support.
A Populus poll commissioned by The Times newspaper last June found that
61% of the public believe same-sex couples should be able to get
married in a registry office on exactly the same basis as heterosexual
couples. The government is clearly lagging behind public opinion.
It’s time David Cameron and Nick Clegg caught up.
True, we have civil partnerships. They remedy many of the injustices
previously experienced by gay couples. But they are not equality. They
have created a two-tier system of relationship recognition and rights.
The homophobia of the ban on same-sex civil marriage is now compounded
by the heterophobia of the ban on opposite-sex civil partnerships. Just
as queers cannot have a civil marriage, straight couples are prohibited
from having a civil partnership. These twin discriminations reinforce
and extend inequality.
Imagine the outcry if the government reserved marriage for white people
and introduced a separate partnership register for black couples. It
would provoke accusations of racism and apartheid – and international
condemnation.
Civil partnerships are a form of sexual apartheid. They enforce
separate laws for heterosexuals and homosexuals, perpetuating
discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Let’s face it, marriage is the gold standard. Civil partnerships are marriage lite for queers. They are second best. No thanks.
Even though I am no fan of wedlock and would not want to get married
myself, I defend the right of other same-sex couples to make that
choice, if they wish. We should all be equal under the law.
If the government is sincere in its commitment to gay equality, it
should forget about fancy Downing Street receptions and concentrate on
delivering gay rights policies, including marriage equality.