Moving away from Scottish politics for a moment, the words above were blerted out by Tory ex-Defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth during parliamentary amendments on the Gay Marriage Bill going through parliament. More fully, he suggested there were plenty "in the aggressive homosexual community who see this as but a stepping stone to something even further".
How incredibly sinister, lets explore this for a second - 'something even further' - what exactly does he think will transpire on the back of this legislation? Will heterosexual people be forced into same sex marriage? Will women be forced to cut their hair short and wear dungarees? Perhaps in the new gay dystopia men will be forced to wear tight tee shirts & hot pants and hold hands with other men while women will have no choice but to like Ellen Degeneres and hog the pool table in bars, (which would all be gay in this nightmare homosexual world.)
As far as I understand, the detractors - in an attempt to undermine gay marriage legislation - wanted to allow hetero couples access to civil partnerships, (which are currently only available to same sex couples.) Now, there are plans to look at civil partnerships for hetero couples in 2019 but there seems to be some financial implications (presumably in terms of tax breaks) if those different sex couples who'd normally marry; decide on a civil partnership instead. To be honest, I don't see what the problem is with that, I think it has more to do with David Cameron not backing down against a backbench revolt than anything else.
The irony is, those tub-thumping Christians who don't want to allow gay marriage also don't want to water down the idea of a good God-fearing marriage with civil partnerships.
I want to go back to this idea of 'something even further' though because its an oft repeated meme among those who would not allow gays any religious reference in their wedding vows, which is a part of what this is about.
I mean, would our big gay overlord be a benevolent ruler? Will religion be banned? Would the lyrics from 'I will survive' replace The Lord's Prayer? Will K.D. Lang be revered in this brave new world? Will 'bum fun' be compulsory and will Gay Pride Day be every day in this camp new world? We need answers to these important questions.
If I can paraphrase Kent Brockman, the news reader from The Simpsons. When you read the next couple of lines, if you can substitute in your mind's eye his image for that of Jeremy Paxman:
"I, for one, welcome our new homosexual overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality I could be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground saunas and nightclubs!"
Why the UK government has to make a mountain out of a molehill, is a mystery to me.
ReplyDeleteWe are supposed to have agreed that people should be treated equally, regardless of their ethnicity, creed, sexuality, ability/disability and gender.
We tax them evenly; we allow them equal opportunities (except for women being allowed to retire 3.5 years earlier than men, but we are working on that; it used to be 5 years. Brits take a long long time to sort out this crap ...about 50 years).
So. They equalise gay people to hetero people by saying that gays can marry. We then equalise the other way to say that heterosexuals can get civilly partnered.
It seems inordinately simple to me. The conditions that apply to marriage, apply to ALL marriages; those that apply to partnerships apply to all partnerships.
What's so hard about that?
Nothing unless you are a Tory, I suspect.
No, some Christians don't like it and some Muslims don't like it. Tough shit. Into each life a little rain must fall. In theory I suspect that many Muslims object to women walking about with their tits hanging out of their tops, and probably so do many Christians. Seems to me they need to get over it. it's not going away.
As for people like Gordon Wilson who think that their own marriage will mean nothing if same sex marriage happens, all I can say is I feel sorry for him and his wife. If 50 years of marriage can be ruined in a second by the Queen's signature and by other people you don't know enjoying the same privilege as you have, Gordon, then your marriage was always worthless and you couldn't have loved each other at all.
Twat.
And as for this being the thin end of the wedge ...well, trust a Tory to judge everyone by his own disgustingly low standards.
Yup.
ReplyDeleteI mean I get the religious complaints but religion is a thing which exists in a person's head and frankly, at this stage there is no definitive word on whether same sex marriage is a no-no or a yes-yes - at least in the Christian orthodoxy.
I think its quite funny seeing some dusty old political fuddy duddy spitting their false teeth out at the notion of people of the same sex getting married - in my eyes, its just another reason for doing it.
;-)
Pa
ReplyDeleteVery good article. I agree with Tris, I just don't get the hysteria of this debate at all.
I consider myself a Christian and I am happy to leave it up to God to judge everyone. The idea of God sounds funny to a lot of people and I do think the views of people of faith should be seriously considered but it is also about doing what is right.
God gave us free thought to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, I accept the bible says that man should not lay with man etc but I also think that we should try to not judge. We should not be casting stones, if Jesus came back today would he ignore gay people, I just don't think so. Whatever you think Jesus is he gave us a moral code that involves treating people the same and that has done us well the last 2000 years so we should just stick to that.
The Tories feel like a party that is close to splitting. I think there is a war going on in England about what England is. There are the right who have this crusades, ww1 and ww2 idea of England, we gave the world english and trade and banking blah blah blah. England is for the English and if you want to live here it's our way or the highway. Thene there is a liberal part of the Tory Party that knows it can't win on just the right vote so needs to reach out to the more liberal in society with just enough righ wing to keep the masses happy. Labour and Liberals are trying to just hang on.
This debate for me is a non debate as far as marriage goes but what will be interesting is if the more right wing of the condservatives start to shift to UKip. I really think it is just a matter of time before someone takes the plunge and defects and gives UKip their first MP and then the house of cards just might start to fall.
Great read though, cheery.
Bruce
Thanks for commenting Bruce.
ReplyDeleteI describe myself as agnostic, I don't not believe but I can't quite bring myself to believe - if you see what I mean.
In all of this, what concerns me the most is young people growing up in the midst of the debate. As an adult, being gay is no less difficult than being straight, all the usual challenges exist. When you're young though, its pretty tough, realising you're different then seeing the disapproval that exists in everyday discourse - its hard to take.
Of course its much better now, but still, when you hear some of the crusty old MP's talk - I mean we should ignore them anyway - but when you're young...
The main thing homosexuals and Christians (or any religious people) have in common is this: whether its a religious conviction or a biological imperative - your motivations, judgements and beliefs are for you and you alone; you have no right to impose or foist them on anyone else.
As always for me, the words 'do no harm' are paramount - as long as you abide by that - then all should be well.
Now, I would comment further but I need to take my hot pants back to the shop, turns out sequins do chafe after all and I can't have that.
;-)
I'd like to add here, if I may, Bruce, that although I'm not religious at all, I respect everyone's right to be so.
ReplyDeleteMany of my family, including my mother are, and although churches and mosques get a hard time, I have seen the great work that some of them do.
(I also know that in the Hilltown there is a great thing going where the local church is shared by a muslim women's group and a community centre that caters widely for the local muslim community.)
So when I say that christians and muslims... and other religious groups, will have to get over it, I don't mean it disrespectfully. It's just that it is a fact now.
The days of religions being able to make society abide by their rules is long gone. It may return one day, but for now...
Agreed there Tris, what ire I do have (that which I haven't reserved for the usual suspects) is reserved for those at the extreme ends of the debate be they militant religious types or those 'aggressive homosexuals' mentioned above.
ReplyDelete