The equal marriage debate is, as has been said before in the virtual pages of Polari Magazine, the most significant one for LGBT Rights in the last decade. It has generated much hot air, especially from those who oppose it, but the issue is a simple one. It is about equal rights. You either believe in equality, or you do not.

Britain is a democracy not a theocracy, and so why anyone should listen to the increasingly bizarre worrying of bishops, etc, is a puzzle. This is not an issue that should be treated as if it’s a popularity vote, but the problem is that this is exactly what’s happening, and there are conflicting poll results blurring the core issues. Last week, a Catholic Voices poll found opposition to marriage equality at 70 percent. A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times found 43 percent in favour; it also found 15 percent opposed, with 32 percent in favour of civil partnerships but not marriage. An ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph showed 45 percent supported marriage equality.

It is important to raise your voice when the opposition is loud. That is why I would urge you to sign the Coalition for Equal Marriage petition. “Don’t Let Bigotry Stop Two People In Love* Getting Married”, the petition states, with the proviso, “*Obviously that means two consenting adults, but woah, there are some particularly nasty types suggesting otherwise on Twitter…” That’s a superb side-swipe at the more twisted opponents.

What you think about the institution of marriage, and what it means to you as an individual, is another question altogether. It is another debate. There is no reason for any LGBT person to oppose equal marriage rights.

Click here to sign the Coalition for Equal Marriage Petition

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