Gay MP Opposes U.K. Marriage Equality Bill

Conor%20burns%20election%20night%20video

Conor Burns says there is 'no clamor' for marriage equality 'within the gay community.'

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

Read Full Bio

Trudy Ring

November 25 2012 8:05 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

trudestress

Sorry to interrupt...
But we wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading. Your support makes original LGBTQ+ reporting possible. Help us hold Trump accountable.

One-time Monthly

$19.67 $50 Other

$5 $19.67 $50

U.K. prime minister David Cameron is encountering much resistance to his marriage equality bill, including from a gay member of Parliament.

Most of the opposition is coming from Cameron's own Conservative Party. Of the 303 Conservative MPs, 121 "have indicated to their constituents that they are uneasy about the highly controversial move," London's Telegraph reports.

Among the opponents is gay Conservative MP Conor Burns, a close friend of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher. He told a reporter, "I marvel at why we're bringing this forward. There is no clamor for this at all within the gay community."

The U.K. currently offers marriage-like civil partnerships to gay couples, but some citizens are indeed clamoring for marriage rights, considering civil partnerships separate and unequal. Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have said they would like to see Parliament vote on the marriage equality bill in the next few weeks.