Video: Home Secretary Theresa May comes @Out4Marriage to reaffirm Government’s equal marriage promise
Drawing a line under accusations that the Government is ‘pushing into the long grass’ plans to allow gay couples to marry, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, has become the most senior politician yet to join the Out4Marriage campaign.
In her video, filmed and released during the public consultation led by the Home Office on introducing equal marriage for gay couples, Mrs May said: “More and more people today are coming Out4Marriage and I’m listening to that, but I recognise that there are strong views on both sides of this argument. And I need to listen to all of those views and that’s why the Government is consulting on this issue.
“But today I wanted to tell you about my own views. I believe in marriage. I believe marriage is a really important institution, it’s one of the most important institutions we have. Marriage binds us together, it brings stability, I think marriage makes us stronger. But I believe also in commitment and in fidelity in marriage, I think these are good things and we should enable them to flourish.
“That’s why I believe if two people care for each other, if they love each other, if they want to commit to each other and spend the rest of their lives together then they should be able to get married, and marriage should be for everyone, and that’s why I’m coming Out4Marriage.
Mike Buonaiuto, co-founder of Out4Marriage told PinkNews.co.uk: “Theresa May today has made clear her own personal commitment for the Government to bring forward legislation to allow same sex couples to marry. As the minister responsible for conducting the public consultation on the issue, we are grateful that she has reaffirmed her belief that marriage for all couples is important and had leant her very significant backing to the Out4Marriage campaign.
“We look forward to working with the Home Secretary and the Government as a whole to ensure that the final legal discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people is removed from the statute book. We are equally delighted that in just a few weeks, Out4Marriage has gained support from senior Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour and Green politicians.”
Mrs May joins high profile supporters of Out4Marriage including Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, girl group The Saturdays, Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Advertising Standards Authority chairman Lord Chris Smith and Lib Dem Minister for Equalities, Lynne Featherstone.
