British Prime Minister: "It's Time for Marriage Equality"

David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party, has announced his public support for same-sex marriage in the UK.

Yes indeed you read that right, he's a conservative.  But European conservatives are much, much different than Filipino conservatives, or even most American conservatives.  European conservatives may be fiscally conservative, but they typically aren't socially conservative right-wing moralists.  While conservative parties in the Philippines (and the Republican Party in the US) often infuse their dialogue with "religiousity" and church-talk, such is not the case among European conservatives.  As a European I say Thank God for that!

The UK's Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, announced two days ago that consultations on changing the Civil Partnership Act to full marriage equality will begin in March of 2012.  Amid statements such as "denying same-sex couples the right to marry is blatantly unfair," and "Britain is a world leader in gay rights but there is still much more we must do," Featherstone set a timetable for full marriage equality happening in Britain before 2015.

The UK is one of the most influential countries in the world, second probably only to the US, and the fact that the leader of this very important country on the world stage is publicly endorsing same-sex marriage, is a very big deal.  It can, and likely will, make a very positive impact beyond the borders of Britain.

Since 2004 the UK has had a Civil Partnership Act, which gives same-sex couples identical rights and benefits of marriage, only without calling it marriage.  Now the time has come for that to change, to remove the 'separate-but-equal' distinction, and enact across the board marriage equality for all couples.

Polls have consistently shown that Brits overwhelmingly support marriage equality, with two in three wanting to see same-sex couples treated just like everyone else.  Good on you, UK!