With a haze of pink carnation-wearing Lords, the Bill equalising marriage for gay couples passed through the House of Lords on July 15.
No formal vote happened, and on July 17 royal assent was given to a Bill that will for many put the official stamp on the undermining of basic Christian principles in the nation.
During the debate in the Lords, some astounding statements were made, not least ones concerning the problems around defining adultery for same-sex couples, which itself stems from the problem of defining what constitutes consummation.
‘Marriage doesn’t require fidelity’
It was pointed out that there are no laws about adultery or consummation for same-sex couples. In reply, the Government minister told peers: ‘In terms of the law, marriage does not require the fidelity of couples. It is open to each couple to decide for themselves on the importance of fidelity within their own relationship’.
That shatters the argument of the Prime Minister, that same-sex marriage would extend the values of commitment and stability to a wider group in society. Instead, it enshrines an 'anything goes' concept of marriage.
Employee rights?
In one unguarded moment, the Government admitted that they want commercial companies to be able to dismiss staff if they refuse to be involved with a same-sex marriage. There have been amendments proposed to the Bill to protect employee rights, but the Government has ignored them, despite cases currently going through the courts where people have already lost their jobs prior to the legislation becoming law, thus showing that no one is safe if they hold traditional views on marriage.
Even Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights says not enough is being done to take concerns regarding employment rights seriously.
Not going away
In a statement, the Coalition for Marriage said it is not going away and will continue to fight for those who believe in traditional marriage. The Government’s failure to pass sensible safeguards for people who believe in traditional marriage means there will inevitably be cases of people getting penalised for their beliefs.
These cases will come back to bite the Prime Minister, and the Coalition for Marriage will make sure everyone knows that he has brought it on himself. A major poll from Lord Ashcroft found that Tory voters oppose gay marriage by 2:1.
