Don’t let hate change the government’s mind

Less than a month remains before the government’s consultation on how to introduce same-sex civil marriage in England and Wales closes on 14th June. If you support marriage equality and haven’t taken part in the consultation yet, please do so. Time is running out to make your views heard.

Background info can be found here and here.

Equal marriage part II: In search of a decent reason why not

In my previous post I set out the reasons why I believe that equal marriage is necessary for full LGBT equality. In it I provided some links to some of the arguments against same-sex marriage, and stated that I would address them in a future post. That time has come. So let’s put on our wellies and start wading through the bile and hate in search of a coherent argument.

Equal marriage part I: Why is it such an issue?

In the last few weeks the debate over the introduction of marriage for same-sex couples in the UK has started to heat up again. In September 2011, the government stated that it would be introducing same-sex marriage. Following recent public statements arguing against this decision, I have decided to break from the light-hearted nature of the previous couple of posts and enter into a serious discussion of this issue.

Today’s post, therefore, is on the subject of: same-sex marriage and civil partnerships – is there a difference, and does it matter? After all, don’t civil partnerships convey the same rights as marriage?

Well, it turns out there is a difference, and it does matter. Here’s why…