In the wake of the British Conservative
Party's endorsement of gay marriage, President Barack Obama is being
urged to follow in the footsteps of Prime Minister David Cameron and
endorse such unions.
On Saturday, Equalities Minister Lynne
Featherstone unveiled plans to make gay marriage legal in Britain
before 2015.
Cameron's Conservative Party governs in
coalition with the Liberal Democrats, whose members are in favor of
full marriage for gay and lesbian couples.
At the Liberal Democrats party
conference, Featherstone said denying gay couples the right to marry
is “not fair.”
“Britain must not get complacent,”
she said. “We are a world leader for gay rights, but there is
still more that we must do.”
Gay marriage proponents in the United
States cheered the news, and urged Obama to follow.
“Today's terrific news out of Britain
reinforces what we have seen in state after state – anything short
of marriage, by any name, simply does not convey the full meaning,
understanding and protection that marriage brings,” said Marc
Solomon, national campaign director of Freedom to Marry.
“It's particularly impressive that
Prime Minister David Cameron, the leader of the British Conservative
Party, is leading the charge to move to full marriage in the UK. We
repeat our call on President Obama to join Cameron in offering
principled leadership, finish his 'evolution,' and join the majority
of Americans who support the freedom to marry.”