Tag: Gay Marriage
All the latest breaking news on gay and same-sex marriage. Browse The THEGAYUK’s complete collection of features, articles and updates on gay and same-sex marriage.
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INTERVIEW | Olly Neville
Olly Neville, former chairman of the Youth Independent (YI), UKIP’s youth organisation was unceremoniously fired in January for expressing his support for gay marriage on the World at One programme on BBC Radio 4.
Following his sacking, Mr Neville claimed UKIP was “on the wrong side of history” on gay marriage and proceeded to publicise on Twitter emails that were sent him by party leaders.
The Gay UK chats with Mr Neville about his sacking, UKIP and what it is like to be catapulted into the media spotlight.Why did you first join UKIP?
I joined UKIP because I am a libertarian, and they are a self-described libertarian party. UKIP’s manifesto had a few decent policies – flat taxes, low regulation, tax cuts for the poorest, mainly economic things whereas most other party’s manifestos were dire at best. When I joined their policy on issues like Equal Marriage was a free vote. I thought UKIP were what they said they were, genuinely libertarian leaning, a party that genuinely wanted to shrink the state, and supported internal debate as Nigel Farage (leader of UKIP) said it did. I never realised I would be quite so wrong.What was your first formal position within the party?
I first was elected Young Independence Elections officer in around August 2011, I went on to become Social Media Director in March 2012.When were you first elected to the role of Youth Chair?
I was elected November/December time.How long did you hold the position?
About a month.What are your reasons for supporting gay marriage?
Ideally, I would like to see marriage de-nationalised or privatised – so no state involvement at all. However that option is not on the table, if the state is going to be involved at all it should do it equally. I see no legitimate reason why the rights of one group in society should be denied. Simply put I have found no good arguments against equal marriage, whereas there are many very good reasons – equality of opportunity, equality before the law, the state having no right to interfere in agreements between two consenting partners etc. Sexual orientation is no basis to deny people access to marriage. If two people want to get married and a religion or a venue is happy to let them do so then no one has any right to stand in their way.Why do you think UKIP have adopted an anti-gay marriage stance?
In my eyes their opposition is pure political opportunism. They changed the policy to oppose equal marriage because they thought they could win votes. They wanted to woo angry socially conservative members off the Tories, and get some headlines. Being the only significant party to oppose Equal Marriage beside the BNP was also sure to get UKIP media attention. It’s not a principled stand it’s a short-term grab for votes and attention.How did you respond to that policy being decided and what stopped you from leaving the party?
At the time I was on the Young Independence Council – the executive of the youth wing. Pretty much everyone on it opposed the policy and disagreed with it. YI is a lot more socially liberal than the main party. I opposed it but being in UKIP you put up with a lot of nonsense policies – the immigration one for example or the idea that we need to double the military budget. Young growing parties have teething stages and bad policies come in. I didn’t realise that UKIP were going to make the policy quite so central, indeed I didn’t realise that until the party chairman angrily emailed me telling me how central the policy was after my interview. That was shocking, I hadn’t expected UKIP to try and win so much political capital out of actively denying rights to minorities. I didn’t leave because the youth wing was still very sensible, the future of the party as I saw it were behind equal marriage, let the angry social cons have their day for now.Did you anticipate the reaction you had from party leaders after the comments you made on the BBC?
No, the interview with the BBC was about 10-15 minutes long and mainly about the growth of YI. The comments on equal marriage were not a central part of the interview. But even so I didn’t think UKIP would go quite so crazy, after all Nigel Farage talks about legalising drugs, Paul Nuttall talks about bringing back the death penalty etc, Nigel had said that he believed in free speech in the party and indeed the UKIP party rule book states officers are allowed to voice their own opinions. I didn’t think they’d agree but I never expected so much vitriol.What made you tweet the emails you had from party leaders?
When it got leaked that I had been fired for supporting equal marriage there was quite a reaction. Whenever people criticise or go against UKIP their equivalent of the SNP’s ‘cyber-nats’ come out in force on Twitter to attack those that disagree, usually quite passionately and aggressively. There were all sorts of defences used by UKIP’s online members. The emails from the party Chairman show quite clearly why I was fired. I tweeted them to provide clarity.Do you regret having done so?
Not at all, I wanted everyone to see why I had been removed, for standing up for something I believe in.How did it feel when your fellow colleagues’ resigned in protest over your sacking?
It was actually really unexpected. I’d felt pretty isolated when getting bombarded with angry emails from party higher ups so when suddenly a load of people said that they were leaving too it was nice to know that I was supported, that other people who could look at the situation objectively found the parties treatment of me beyond the pale as well. Many of the people who left I already really respected within UKIP and YI and so for so many of the parties young ‘big hitters’ to leave at the same time really made me realise that it was good to take a stand on your principles as people would respect you for it. The fact so many people left from high up in YI that the council has had to shut down until the next elections really spoke volumes about how wide the gap in opinion as between ‘old’ UKIP and the Youth Wing.Are you still a member of UKIP?
Absolutely notDo you belong to another political party?
No, I am done with compromising. Being in UKIP was a huge compromise that ultimately blew up. I would rather stick to my principles than toe party lines. The way UKIP changed its view on gay rights just to win over a few angry Tories and get a few more points in opinion polls really hammered home how principles have no place in politics and no party really has any. UKIP are like all the others, willing to sell out for a sniff of power. I don’t want to be in anything like that.What is your view on the Conservative party’s pledge to leave the European Court of Human Rights?
I’m Eurosceptic but Europe and the EU has never been a high priority of mine, just like it isn’t a high priority of most of the electorate. As an anarchist I’m not a fan of any centralised bodies, be it EU, ECHR, UN etc but there are so many much bigger issues in my opinion. It’s a bit of a sideshow to the real issues but that’s what a lot of politics is.Has the UKIP sacking had an effect you personally or professionally?
Not hugely, obviously it catapulted my name into the media for a few days, which was a bit weird. Finding my picture in the metro on my way to work was a bit of a double take moment. I had a lot of people – former employers and friends I hadn’t talked to for a while contacted me to congratulate me on taking a stand. I also got a lot of positive feedback on the Internet, apart from the UKIP tribalists obviously. Strangely no one at my work seems to have realised it happened, it was my second day at a new job when it came out and my phone didn’t stop ringing the whole time.Do you think UKIP’s strong showing in the Eastleigh by-election demonstrates public support for UKIP’s position on same-sex marriage?
With pretty much every poll showing overwhelming public support for Same Sex Marriage I doubt it. People vote on big issues like the economy, welfare, education. UKIP wins votes because it positions itself as an anti politics party. It’s anti establishment, anti that notion of corrupt careerist MP’s. I think UKIP does very well setting itself up as a party for the disillusioned and the angry, not just those angry at politics in general but those from former parties who feel let down – whether its Labour for deserting the working man, the Tories from deserting ‘right wing principles’ or the Lib Dems for deserting civil liberties. UKIP promises all things to all people – its un-costed Manifesto promising £600bn in spending cuts but only outlining about £40bn in spending increases demonstrates that. -
Red boxes with pink stripes dominates the web
The internet was awash with the colour red and pink yesterday as the iconic Human Rights Campaign logo went viral.
Facebook and Twitter users shared the red logo, with pink stripes, hundreds of thousands of times on Tuesday, 26th March 2013, which is the first day of oral arguments in marriage equality cases before the US Supreme Court.
The logo, which is normally, blue and yellow was altered for the occasion.
“Red is a symbol for love, and that’s what marriage is all about,” Human Rights Campaign spokesperson Charlie Joughin told MSNBC.com on Tuesday. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to show their support for marriage equality in a public and visible way.”
High profile supporters who showed their red and pink square included Star Trek’s George Takei, Beyoncé and Madonna.
The Human Rights Campaign (http://humanrightscampaign.tumblr.com/) says its website has seen a 600% increase in traffic since posting the revamped logo.
The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in the case of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in the state of California.
The controversial constitutional amendment, which was backed by voters, passed in November 2008, which provides that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California.”
Proposition 8 overturned the California Supreme Court’s decision, just months after it voted that same-sex couple did have a constitutional right to marry.
After the oral arguments, the US Supreme Court could maintain the 2008 state ban, retract it in just California or void all state same-sex marriage bans in the US.
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Scores Of Pro-Equality Turn Up To Anti-Gay Marriage Protest In London
Hundreds of Pro-Gay Marriage Supporters Turn Out To Anti-gay Marriage Protest In London.
CREDIT: TheGayUK The anti-gay marriage protest group, La Manif Pour Tous, which was granted permission to hold a rally in Trafalgar Square by the Mayor’s office, failed to attract large numbers this afternoon.
The ‘static protest’ was launched at 2.00PM in central London, where scores of anti-gay marriage protesters were met with pro-equality supporters, who filled a large section of the crowd.
Police on the ground estimated that there were around 1500 people in total, including those who were pro-equality. At times the pro-equality was so loud that their chants to “Shame On You” and “Go Home Bigots” drown-out the speakers for La Manif Pour Tous.
There was no violence and the rally ended peacefully at 5.00PM.
Damien Fournier Montgieux, the co-ordinator of the anti-gay marriage protest, explained: “Almost out of nowhere we are suddenly faced with a huge challenge to the future of marriage and the family in both France and the UK. There has been no warning or consultation with the people.”
He and other protestors claimed that the future welfare of children will be put at risk from allowing same-sex couples to marry.
Reports from Pinknews say that, pro marriage equality campaign, Out4Marriage said: “The scale of the counter protest shows that the public very much support equal marriage, regardless of what French and other protesters might try to make you believe.”
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Men In Same-Sex Marriages Live Longer
Men who are married to men live longer than those who are divorced or unmarried. In a brand new report that two researchers from Copenhagen have published their findings on why tying the knot might be the secret to a longer life.
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La Manif Pour Tous Plans Demonstration In UKs Capital
The French anti-same sex marriage organisers of La Manif Pour Tous (Demo For All) are allegedly planning a demonstration in London on the 24th March 2013.
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Watch This Spoof Anti-Gay Marriage Advert…
If there ever was an advert to justify a ban on gay marriage, this might be it… (Spoof)
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COLUMN | F**K The Guys
Most people in a position of power seem to be putting out a certain message at the moment and that message is “F**k the gays” and I for one, am sick of it.
Unless you’ve been living in a sort of media blackout, you won’t be at all surprised that most of us aren’t over keen on Suzanne Moore.
In her most recent Guardian article, she implied that pretty much every gay guy was into rushed toilet cubicle sex and that we’re all terribly misogynistic. I find this a repugnant generalisation of gay men, and since when did liking cock more make you Anti-Woman? Piss off Suzanne. Also judging by some recent tweets, SHE KNOWS that she will piss all of us, which Is obviously her aim, and with controversy comes publicity, so good on you Suzanne, you’re getting your opinion out, no matter how vile and unnecessary it is. I’m going to quote a tweet of hers:
“I’m quite old fashioned when it comes to queers” Nice one Suze.
Obliviously, earlier this week, there was the big “debate” in which a group of decent people and their adulterous bigoted colleagues would get together, to decide whether gay people would be allowed the most coveted privilege that is of course marriage. I found this whole “debate” to be unnecessary, rushed and most of all patronising. There is no need for a debate, not when the subject being debated is essentially a human right.
Apparently, my pals the “religious” people are up in arms about the whole thing!
“We couldn’t possibly marry these beasts in our houses of worship and molestation!” They cry from their steeples… That’s how I imagine it anyway.
Religion has nothing at all to do with marriage. Religious protection is the big issue, in which “churchies” are absolutely horrified at the thought of marrying us lot! Not that most of us even want to get married in a Church anyway, or a Mosque that’s for sure. Many are refusing to hold ceremonies there, and quite rightly in my opinion, at the end of the day, those churches are only big enough for one sexual deviant (The Priest)
I couldn’t give a glancing f**k whether or not the Church is bothered by Equal Marriage, because marriage is ultimately about love, and not Religion.
Another angle that these homophobes are using is that of teachers.
(Before I enter my tirade, I would like to say I have all the respect in the world for teachers, they do a fantastic job, most of them anyway)
A teacher is supposed to teach. They teach all different subjects, English, Religion, Science, Maths, Languages etc. Teachers are supposed to inspire tomorrow’s generation, nurture their minds and along with the child’s parents, mould them into the adult they will eventually become. So if that teacher is against equality and won’t even mention it in their classroom, then in my eyes, they shouldn’t be a teacher at all. The one example that keeps being thrown up is :
“What if a Muslim teacher is refusing to teach children about equality, will they be suspended?”
The answer, unfortunately is no. Which I see as rather ironic, seeing as Muslims are also facing a degree of inequality at the moment, so surely they should sympathise.
I don’t know where the next few days are heading in terms of gay rights, but what I do know, is if they don’t go our way, I’m leaving this country for somewhere warmer and more accepting.
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Government Vote In Favour Of The Same Sex Marriage Bill
Yesterday, MPs voted by a majority of 225 in favour of the new Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. The Bill will extend the legal form of marriage to lesbian, gay and bisexual people and permit religious denominations to celebrate such marriages should they wish.
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COMMENT | The Noisy Silence Of A Political
Last week we sent an open letter to our local MP David Burrows asking him to vote in favour of same-sex marriage. In return, we received… nothing.
Not a peep. We can only assume our local MP has been far too busy to give much thought to the subject of same-sex marriage and instead focusing his attentions on other important local issues.
Oh no wait, he’s been spending his time working the press trying to grab the headlines to push his name to some kind of political martyr status. That’s why he doesn’t have time to respond to his own constituents who are in favour of this bill. A few of David’s press outings Including comment such as;
“There’s serious unrest in the grass roots. You cannot avoid the fact that the troops are unhappy. People are drifting away.” – The Times 02/02/13
Actually, according to the YouGov poll the majority of people in the UK are actually in favour of same-sex marriage. Maybe it’s time to scarify the political lawn and remove the dead grass allowing a stronger and brighter future to grow through?
‘The Christian MP said his children have been bullied at school by classmates accusing him of being “homophobic” – Telegraph 03/02/13
‘David Burrowes, the main opponent of the Gay Marriage Bill said “I’ve had death threats, hostility and hate mail”. – the Independent 04/02/13
However, in the same voice he’s also quoted in our local paper saying;
‘The issue was not something “people are hammering us on the doorstep to do something about” – Enfield Independent 20/02/12
I’m sorry but you cannot say one minute that people aren’t bothered about same-sex marriage and then also say you’re getting death threats and your kids are being subjected to equal opportunity playground taunting.
I never condone the stupidity of people who put pen to paper to write death threats and understand kids will always say it like they see it, however it all sounds to me like someone is quite happy to have their name splashed in the papers whatever the heading. A little like the Jordan and Peter saga, will they, won’t they, ‘No one’s hammered my doorstep about same-sex marriage’, ‘I’m getting death threats.’ It starts to become whiney, boring and again making it all about you. It’s not about you. It’s about the people of Enfield and Southgate and the rest of the UK want to have their voice heard. Not about your personal life and person interests.
Of course, you don’t have to look far to see Mr Burrowes name on the web news pages like the BBC reporting on his parliamentary rule breaching in registering and declaring overseas trips paid for by foreign governments and then signing motions without declaring a personal interest in them. Similar is reported in the Enfield Independent that David accepts an office intern, who is sponsored by the Christian charity group CARE to the tune of £5,500, to work in his office every other year. CARE, which opposes gay marriage, also sponsored a London event in 2009 offering “healing” to gay people.
Baffling. We would have loved to have shared David’s opinion but he chose not to reply to our letter. Obviously us gays are of no financial or political interest to Mr Burrowes.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
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COMMENT | Apathy – A Gay Disease?
So, here we are, facing a chance to get our elected representatives to give us the right to marry, one step closer to equality with heterosexual couples, same legal footing… and how many of us have bothered to write or cajole our MP?
On the social media sites, we see a lot of the so-called “politically correct” groups paying lip service to this item, some of the more radical individuals are there too – but, be honest, how many of you actually know who your MP is? or how to contact them? Believe me, I include myself in this too.
So, we’ve moved on from decriminalising our sexual act in the late 60s, narrowed the age of consent, obtained civil partnership rights… and now this.
Did we accept at some point that as long as we could shag, faux marry and do it younger, then it didn’t matter anymore? Or is it part of some larger issue? is it just us, as a sexual orientation that can’t be arsed anymore, or is it a case of the population at large are suffering this apathy too?
I know, I know – more questions than answers but keep up…
The site below gives you the turnout rates for every general election since 1945, and its a telling story – less than 60% of the eligible population turned out to vote in 2001, with only marginally more turning out in the next 2 elections. Is it because we now have little to differentiate between the parties? Instead of the clear differences between the Blue, Red and Yellow parties, we now have one big Brown mess?
http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm
The figures are similar in the US, with just over 50% of voters turning out in 2000, and a slight increase over the next 2 elections – despite Obama’s cute smile!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout_in_the_United_States_presidential_elections
So why is this? For me, I just don’t care enough anymore. I used to be a passionate supporter of Labour, working class background, father a miner like his father before him, grew up during Thatcher’s reign, felt the effects, but at some point along the way, I lost that passion, that interest. I think its simply that it all became grey.
Is it that politics are boring? Can it ever be sexy and grab our interest? Is it the policies or the people? There are no interesting figures anymore. Cameron and Clegg are beige in the extreme – Miliband offers little new to entice people to vote. This is something Obama managed – he offered a fresh approach, a new way to think, some hope… and the new idea of a black president! Here, we have the same old stuff: referendum on the EU, are we European or not? Gay marriage? Well, why not? Throw them a bone now and again and they may vote for us next time?
So, why aren’t we as passionate as, say, the French? Thousands marching in Paris for and against their marriage law, coverage across the globe – whilst we sit here and tweet, update our status and moan.
Is it time to get up off our butts and do something? Shout from the rooftops about our support (or not) of this bill? Take time to email our MP regardless of the outcome of today’s vote? Maybe we feel we can’t make a difference but remember that we vote them in, and so get the government we deserve.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.v
Following his sacking, Mr Neville claimed UKIP was “on the wrong side of history” on gay marriage and proceeded to publicise on Twitter emails that were sent him by party leaders.
