Current Affairs

David Burrowes MP tells schoolgirl: ‘I am a supporter of traditional marriage. Get over it!’

May 21 2013
Written by Joseph McCormick

Tory MP David Burrowes has responded to a letter sent by a PinkNews reader, in which he was asked to clarify how he could oppose equal marriage, but still assert that he was not “anti gay”, to say that he is against equal marriage, and to “Get over it!”.

17-year-old, lesbian A-level student Victoria Munro, wrote to Tory MP David Burrowes, questioning his recent assertion that he is not “anti-gay”, and asking how it is possible to be “pro-marriage”, whilst voting to prevent people from being able to marry.

Ms Munro questioned Mr Burrowes’ voting record on LGBT issues, and asserts that it suggests that he is anti-gay, and questions how he can say he is “pro-marriage”, whilst excluding a sector of society from the institution.

In the response, Mr Burrowes plays on the famous Stonewall slogan “Some people are gay. Get over it!”, by saying: “I am a supporter of traditional marriage. Get over it!”.

Mr Burrowes’ full response is available to read below.

Victoria

Thank you for your open letter to me on Pink News. Parliamentary protocol directs me to suggest you take up your concerns with your local MP. You will though have seen from the articles posted on Pink News that some of my constituents have publicised my views and responses to them.

I will though say that you have misinterpreted by voting record. As will be the case in Parliament there will be many MPs who support equality but also want will vote to amend the Equality Act to give more protection to those who believe that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

For example, if you were to do further research you will see that I was a signatory to an amendment with Nick Herbert MP, which supported the law to criminalise incitement to homophobic hatred but wanted a free speech clause (which eventually was passed by a Lords amendment).

I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree about the principle of the Bill and I will just have to say to my critics “I am a supporter of traditional marriage. Get over it!”

Best wishes

David
David Burrowes MP

Appearing on BBC 2’s Daily Politics last Tuesday, David Burrowes justified called for a referendum on same-sex marriage and said he would use it to defeat the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

Earlier last week, Mr Burrowes warned that the bill resembles the shark in the 1970s thriller movie, Jaws.

The House of Commons is currently debating the bill as part of its third reading.

An amendment to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was tabled by Mr Burrowes, urging for registrars to be allowed to opt out of performing marriages for gay couples, MPs voted 340 to 150 to reject the amendment.