Same sex marriage developments

Simon Beard comments on the progress on same-sex marriage, and the proposed amendments to the Equality Bill

The introduction of an amendment to the UK Equality Bill provides an opportunity for Quakers to show our support for same sex marriage. We should not squander it. The amendment, which would allow religious organisations to host civil partnerships, will surely be challenged as a liberal attack against religious values. Friends, we must make clear that our religious values of equality, integrity and peace mean we can do nothing but support it.  Yes, the amendment will not achieve full equality for same sex and opposite sex couples, but the complex situation of Quaker marriages means it is unlikely that we will be able to get everything we want at the first attempt. If the amendment is passed, it will go a long way to meeting our needs and make it much easier for Quakers to receive additional rights to act according to our traditions in the future.

In contrast, a failure of the amendment at this stage could hamper any future attempt to achieve change.

In order to ensure that the amendment receives the maximum possible support, we will need to communicate with members of the House of Lords who are unfamiliar with our practices. We will also need to persuade a government that is sceptical of reconsidering an issue that, in the words of their representative Janet Royal, ‘was debated at length during the passage of the Civil Partnership Act and the government see no need to revisit it now’.

Friends who would like to support the proposed amendment should contact any member of the House of Lords who they know or have contact with. Alternatively, visit this alphabetical list with contact details. It is advisable to first contact a peer with a surname like your own and then to contact those whose names fall directly below theirs on the list, thus ensuring an even spread of peers are contacted.

See Religious civil partnership proposal put forward in the news section.

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