Tuesday 5 February 2013

More than Marriage


Well, hurrah! Gay marriage is finally made possible in England, and many of us wonder what the fuss was about. What’s so controversial about letting two people who love each other commit to a life together? Nothing, that’s what.

The whole debate over gay marriage has been very useful in highlighting just how many dinosaurs still reside on the Tory benches. I mean, how stupid are these MPs, who not only hold such bigoted views but will admit to it, with the nation watching?

Sadly, these bigots are not only in the House of Commons, but they’re out in the real world, causing misery for LGBT people every day. I’m thinking particularly of the homophobic bullying that goes on in schools, and the suicides of young people such as Jadin Bell, the Oregan teenager who died this week. Bell had been taunted about his sexuality and had hanged himself as a result. This week he died in hospital, having been on life support.

It may seem like a leap from talking about gay hate crime and suicide to talking about gay marriage, but actually it’s not. Gay marriage is an important way that we, as a society, can proudly state that we believe in equality, and that we have no space for bigotry, hatred and victimisation.  

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