Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the
leader of the British Liberal Democrats, has said he supports
legalizing gay marriage in the UK because marriage is a fundamental
right for all.
Clegg, who has been the Leader of the
Liberal Democrats since 2007 and a Member of Parliament (MP)
representing Shefield Hallam since 2005, made his comments in a video
for the Out4Marriage campaign.
“I've always been very clear on this.
Love is the same, straight or gay,” Clegg said in the video
released on Wednesday. “So the civil institution should be the
same, too.”
“All couples should be able to make
that commitment to one another, regardless of who they love.”
“It's not a matter of if anymore,”
he added, referring to the government's proposal to legalize such
unions before 2015.
“And to those who are worried about
some of the opposition to this move, or the tone of the debate, let
me just say: Whether you're gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual or
straight, your freedom to love who you choose is a fundamental right
in a liberal society. And you will always have our support.” (The
video is embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)