Reports are circulating that homosexual rights campaigner and co-ordinator of the Equal Love UK campaign, Peter Tatchell, actually wrote the Prime Minister's speech for him.
So here, for the sake of comparison is the speech made by Tatchell in October 2012 and beneath it, Prime Minister Cameron's statement on the issue:-
And David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party (but not for much longer)
The Rainbow flag has replaced the "Union" Jack
So here, for the sake of comparison is the speech made by Tatchell in October 2012 and beneath it, Prime Minister Cameron's statement on the issue:-
London, UK – 13
October 2011
Peter Tatchell,
coordinator of the Equal Love UK campaign, writes:
"For many months,
the Equal Love campaign has been lobbying the Conservative party and government,
and Tory MPs and activists, urging them to support the legalisation of same-sex
marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships.
We’ve recently won
the government’s commitment to marriage equality, but not to heterosexual civil
partnerships. Never mind. We’ll keep fighting for the rights of straight couples
until they get equality too.
Below is an article
I wrote for Progressive Conscience, a liberal Conservative journal, which was
published shortly after the government announced its commitment to marriage
equality but before David Cameron’s speech to the recent Conservative party
conference.
As you can see, to
win over Conservatives we pitched our arguments to appeal to their Conservative
values.
We were delighted
that David Cameron backed marriage equality in his keynote party conference
address.
Indeed, we were
surprised, and flattered, that the Prime Minister’s speech echoed very closely
the wording of our Equal Love briefings: Gay marriage is a Conservative
value.
We
said:
“Conservatives
rightly encourage and approve loving, stable relationships because enduring care
and commitment are good for individuals, families and for the well-being of
society as a whole. If marriage is a Conservative value, then same-sex marriage
is consistent with this value. Far from undermining marriage, gay marriage
strengthens it. Conservatives believe in marriage. They should therefore support
same-sex marriage precisely because they are Conservatives.”
Let me take this
opportunity to thank everyone is who supporting the Equal Love campaign in the
UK, especially the eight couples who have taken their case to the European Court
of Human Rights.
Together, with your
help, we will win. Marriage equality is an unstoppable global trend.
Best wishes, Peter
Tatchell, Coordinator of the Equal Love UK campaign"
"But
for me, leadership on families also means speaking out on marriage. Marriage is
not just a piece of paper. It pulls couples together through the ebb and flow of
life. It gives children stability. And it says powerful things about what we
should value. So yes, we will recognise marriage in the tax system.
But
we're also doing something else. I once stood before a Conservative conference and said it shouldn't
matter whether commitment was between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or
a man and another man. You applauded me for that. Five years on, we're
consulting on legalising gay marriage.
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".
*Photo: Archbishop Cranmer blog
