Same-sex marriage now legal as first couples wed (UK)

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

For the first time same-sex couples are now legally allowed to get married in England and Wales.

Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law.

David Cameron said the move sent a message that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some religious groups remain opposed.

Scotland passed a similar law in February; the first same-sex marriages are expected there in October. Northern Ireland has no plans to follow suit.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26793127

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Three couples are having a midnight wedding: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2591986/Three-gay-couples-make-history-tying-knot-just-seconds-new-sex-marriage-laws-come-force.html

[RKP5637]

1. K&R !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Treant]

2. Congratulations

to all the newlywed couples!

For those religious groups that are opposed, don't marry your same sex partner but don't dare to try to tell other people what to do. There, fixed it for you.

[RKP5637]

3. Exactly! Well said! n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

4. Exactly...

if you don't support gay marriage don't get gay married.

[Nye Bevan]

5. David Cameron: “I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative"

“I support gay marriage because I am a Conservative.’’

And to anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment. Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other. So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/05/david-cameron-conservative-party-speech

Why can't US conservatives be like this?

[mwooldri]

6. Sometimes I wish US Conservatives were more like Cameron.

I feel that US Conservatives are usually intertwined with the Religious Right, who in turn are looking to blur the line of separation of church and state.

Cameron had to deal with the issue in reverse - A state church, who is represented in Parliament, and is obligated by law to officiate marriage. The Marriages (Same Sex Marriage) Act 2013 had to be worded in such a way to allow same sex marriage by law but not force the Church to perform same sex marriages. I view the law as creating a separation between a civil and a religious marriage - legally the same but by state law a religious marriage has to be in line with Church law.

Besides I wouldn't expect to see a flood of same sex couples beating down a path to their parish priests and demanding a same sex marriage anyway.

[alp227]

7. Bummer how Canada and Britain beat America in this issue.

Oh well. Here's some David Bowie in celebration!

[MADem]

8. Well, not really. LGBT people can get married in the USA and they've been able to do so for years.

The federal government recognizes these marriages, too.

It's just not recognized across all fifty states, yet, because of the way that states retain some authorities under our system of government.

UK isn't "done" with this issue, either. They have a "separate but not equal" problem brewing; a bifurcated system now, and there will be conflict between the "state sponsored" religion and the civil marriage approach:

There will now be two legal definitions of marriage, says the BBC's social affairs correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti - that recognised by the CofE and many other religious groups, and that recognised by the state.

"The Church of England believes marriage is between one man and one woman for life," the Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James confirmed.

"It's untidy for the law to have two definitions... but I think we can live with untidiness."

The law prohibits the Church of England from performing same-sex weddings, and allows other religious organisations to refuse to perform them.

The CofE has urged clergy to support members of the congregation who are in same-sex marriages, but has ruled that priests themselves must not enter into one. The Roman Catholic Church opposes the change in the law.

Some gay vicars, though, have said they are prepared to defy their bishops by insisting they have a right to marry.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. I don't think that is 'two legal definitions'

As the article says, from the head of the Church of England:

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said on Friday night the Church of England would now drop its opposition to same-sex marriage, as Parliament had spoken.

"The law's changed; we accept the situation," he told the BBC.

'The law' is what the acts of parliament say; the definitions that various churches use are not 'legal' definitions, and the state church recognises that. The CofE will continue to have internal disputes about what it wants or allows itself, but it's not about law.