Quote of the Day

. . . If the church genuinely supports love and commitment, why does the Catholic hierarchy oppose gay couples showing their love and commitment by getting married? It doesn't make sense.

. . . [Archbishop Vincent and Nichols' recent pastoral letter on marriage] includes no acknowledgement of the profound love that can exist between two people of the same sex. It wilfully ignores that fact the gay marriage is about love. By opposing marriage equality, the archbishops are denigrating, demeaning and devaluing love between two people of the same sex. It's an insult – a slap in the face – to loving, loyal and long-term lesbian and gay relationships.

Given the archbishops support for the institution of marriage, surely they should welcome the many lesbian and gay couples who want to get married?

Opening up marriage to same-sex partners does not detract one iota from heterosexual marriage. It causes straight couples no disadvantage or diminution of their rights.

In a democratic society, Catholics (and others) are entitled to believe that same-sex marriages are wrong, but they are not entitled to demand that their opposition to gay marriages should be imposed on the rest of society and enforced by law.

Allowing religious organizations to veto legislation – which is what the archbishops are demanding – is the path to theocracy.

The church has no legitimate reason to block same-sex civil marriage ceremonies. What happens in a register office is not the business of the church. It is outside their jurisdiction.

Regardless of what the archbishops may want, the case for marriage equality is overwhelming and inevitable from a democratic and human rights perspective. . . .

– Peter Tatchell
"Catholic Archbishops Have Mislead People on Gay Marriage"
The Huffington Post
March 13, 2012

Recommended Off-site Links:
Catholic Hierarchy in England Campaigns Against Civil Marriage Rights for Gay Couples – Sylvia Hui (The Huffington Post, March 11, 2012)
Catholic Gay Marriage Anger Grows in Britain – Herald Sun (March 12, 2012).
The Peter Tatchell Foundation

See also the previous Wild Reed post:
The Vatican's Actions at the UN: "Sickening, Depraved and Shameless"