In defence of gay marriage as an extension of a key conservative component to society

So, one of my favourite Tories Tim Montgomerie, spoke last night on his change of heart on Gay Marriage with Dominic Lawson… It’s interesting from a number of angles, not least that his motivation was to make social conservatism popular again, and to open what he sees as a key conservative institution (marriage) to people who might otherwise become alienated from other conservative institutions. So, for those genuinely interested, I’m just putting it here. [Please do try to resist the urge to comment …

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Cartoon – Fighting the marriage equality tidal wave

  Earlier, David McCann laid out the conservative case for marriage equality. Fellow conservative Andrew Sullivan has written for a number of years on the question and recently called the current situation “The Marriage Equality End Game” and spoke of “The Tidal Wave For Marriage Equality“. Looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer. Andrew Sullivan also recently shared a quaint anecdote from his visit to Belfast in 1995, have a read. Enjoy the cartoon. Brian SpencerBrian is a …

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Equal Marriage-An issue for liberals and conservatives to rally behind.

There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation Those words came from the Former Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, when he introduced a bill in Canada decriminalising homosexuality. While yes, three thousand miles away I think those words should matter to the issue that our MLAs are debating this week. I am typically a conservative minded person, like most conservatives I like incremental, organic change. Over the past few years the lobbying for marriage equality has …

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Presbyterian Church Punishes Ford for Marriage Equality Vote

The News Letter and the Antrim Guardian have both reported that Justice Minister David Ford has ‘agreed’ to step down from his duties as an elder at Second Donegore Presbyterian Church in County Antrim, as a result of his vote in favour of civil marriage equality. This seems to have been the result of what has clearly been quite serious pressure in what the News Letter describes as “months of private meetings” at the sub-regional body to which Second Donegore …

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Home Rule, Rome Rule and Gay Marriage

Last September, Unionists paraded in their tens of thousands through Belfast to celebrate the centenary of the Ulster Covenant. From the days of Lilibullero in the 17th Century, Ulster Protestantism has always had a particular genius for summing up its political causes in easily remembered ditties and catchphrases. Perhaps the easiest slogan to remember of all from that era is “Home Rule is Rome Rule”. That encapsulated the fears that Irish self-government would inevitably lead to a clericalised, priest-ridden state. …

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