Cameron Praises British LGBT Notables, Including Alan Turing And Sir Ian McKellen
David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and head of his nation’s Conservative party, penned an op-ed exclusively for a British LGBT publication today. In his Pink News op-ed, Cameron calls the “love, support, stability and happiness” that marriage brings, “immeasurable,” an adds:
That is not something that the State should ever deny someone on the basis of their sexuality. When people’s love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change.
At midnight tonight — 8:00 PM EDT in the U.S., for the first time ever, same-sex couples in Britain and Wales will be able to marry.
Cameron is in large part responsible for the new law, which Queen Elizabeth II signed last year. Some would say he even risked his party’s rule over it, but he prevailed.
“The introduction of same-sex civil marriage says something about the sort of country we are,” Cameron’s op-ed adds. “It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth. It also sends a powerful message to young people growing up who are uncertain about their sexuality. It clearly says ‘you are equal’ whether straight or gay. That is so important in trying to create an environment where people are no longer bullied because of their sexuality – and where they can realise their potential, whether as a great mathematician like Alan Turing, a star of stage and screen like Sir Ian McKellen or a wonderful journalist and presenter like Clare Balding.”
He concludes:
“Together we should be proud to live in a country judged to be the best place to live in Europe if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans. But we should equally be far from complacent about the challenges that remain – and I am just as committed as ever to working with you to challenge attitudes and stamp-out homophobic bullying and hate crimes.
“We are a nation that is growing stronger economically because of our long term economic plan. But I hope we can also be a country that is growing stronger socially because we value love and commitment equally. Let us raise a toast to that – and all those getting married this weekend.”
Image via David Cameron on Twitter