[Updated at 3:27 p.m. ET] A little clarification: The bill would, as drafted, enable religious organizations in the United Kingdom to conduct same-sex marriages if they wish.
[Updated at 3:14 p.m. ET] More details on the vote on a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom: The second reading of the bill passed in a 400-175 vote Tuesday.
The bill will be up for further debate in the House of Commons, and it still would need to go though other stages, including another vote in the House of Commons and approval in the House of Lords, before it can become law.
[Updated at 2:35 p.m. ET] The UK House of Commons has passed a bill to introduce same-sex marriage in the country.
The legislation still must go through several more stages, including approval in the House of Lords, before it can become law.
[Posted at 9:23 a.m. ET] UK lawmakers are to vote on a bill to introduce same-sex marriage Tuesday, an issue that has prompted widespread rebellion within Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative Party.
Three top party members appealed to Conservative MPs to get behind the controversial legislation in a letter published in the Telegraph newspaper Tuesday.
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Semper Fi – why haven't you "gone straight" yet? What you do with the blokes while in the Marines counts, ya know?
How lovely to see the bigotry in the comments is off to a running start.
Great job UK!
Really? whined: "Wait, wasn't God the one who said it was an abomination? Newsflash: no bill is going to change what is, or the way people feel."
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Well your goofy religion is quite irrelvant to laws in free, 21st-century societies. "God" also said eating shellfish is an abomination and slavery is fine, so who cares?
What goes on at Perris Island STAYS at Perris Island, eh Semper Fly?
Hopefully in the near future we, in the US, can stifle the hatred generated by bigotry and ignorance like the UK has done today.
yaa wrote: "Now suddenly the Americans will start thinking it is good to do this.... as always."
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Parts of the US are years ahead of the UK on gay marriage.
America has always followed the lead of the truly civilized nations when it comes to equality.
A big win for catering companies, venues, cake makers, dress/tux rental and sales people. There's a lot of money to be made in weddings. It'll be an economy boost if anything.
And I'm sure down the road: divorce attorneys. Are GB's divorce rates a bad as the US's?
It's about time this happened all over the planet. It should not be the business of government to dictate whom can marry whom. The arguments about kids, animals, etc is garbage because we have laws that make it clear it has to be consenting adults (or parental permission). In America we have parents approving teenage marriages on a regular basis with no outrage.
What is most disgusting is conservatives that want smaller government except when it comes to what happens in the bedroom or between consenting adults. Suddenly in their opinion it is their "right" to interfere and make decisions for consenting adults. In time, this will be the law of the land in America as well.
By your definition, polygamy is okay. Also, who the hell are you to tell me I can't marry a horse. You're trying to impose your morality on me! You're a bigot!
Not true the Brits have been more advance then the United States. We are the country of inbred racist, bigots, and just evil people with no souls. The evil people with no souls are the people making rude/racist comments on this message board and other message boards regarding minority.
do others having equal rights bother you, yaa? well, you could always eat the business end of your sidearm
have you been asleep that last couple of years? we have been fighting for this and will get it. luckily bigotry slowly dies out with older generations.
emdub wrote: "America has always followed the lead of the truly civilized nations when it comes to equality."
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Gay marriage is legal in 9 US states and the District of Columbia, yet not legal anywhere in the UK. So the UK is actually following the US and the truly civilized states.
I'm very happy to hear about this progress, but the UK is way behind the curve.
This exactly ^ Everyone just likes to point the finger at the U.S. regardless of any facts.
And so the xenophobic posts from self-righteous Americans begin. Soon we'll be told that America should wall herself off from the rest of a sodomitical world, to preserve our "Christian" "shining city on a hill." Spare me. There are LGBT people living in the shining city, too.
don't worry too much, I have high hopes that as the older generation dies off their bigotry goes with it.