Gays 'cannot raise children safely' - Welsh Secretary (From Free Press Series)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting FPRESS to 80360, or email
us
Gays 'cannot raise children safely' - Welsh Secretary, David Jones
2:44pm Friday 15th February 2013 in News
GAY COMMENT: Welsh Secretary David Jones said gay couples "clearly’’ could not provide a "warm and safe environment’’ to raise children
WELSH Secretary David Jones came under fire today after claiming in a TV interview that gay couples "clearly’’ could not provide a "warm and safe environment’’ to raise children.
The Tory MP, who voted against the Government's plans to introduce gay marriage in the Commons last week, made his remarks to ITV Wales's Face To Face programme.
Shadow Welsh secretary Owen Smith blasted the comments as evidence that the "nasty party is alive and well under David Cameron’’.
Mr Jones said: "I regard marriage as an institution that has developed over many centuries, essentially for the provision of a warm and safe environment for the upbringing of children, which is clearly something that two same-sex partners can't do.
"Which is not to say that I'm in any sense opposed to stable and committed same-sex partnerships.’’ Mr Jones said he did not believe he was homophobic, insisting he had "people in my life who are important to me who are gay’’.
The Welsh Secretary said he took the chance of a free vote to oppose the plan, which he said he believed his constituents opposed.
But Mr Smith said: "These comments reveal that the nasty party is alive and well under David Cameron.
"That such views exist in the heart of the Tory Cabinet provides yet more evidence of how out of touch the Tories are with modern Britain, and how David Cameron's claim to have changed his party is, like so many of his promises, nothing more than empty words.
"David Jones's comments are profoundly offensive and he should apologise immediately.’’
Comments(14)
TrayB
says...
3:27pm Fri 15 Feb 13
pinpong
says...
3:49pm Fri 15 Feb 13
Llanmartinangel
says...
5:29pm Fri 15 Feb 13
tap
says...
6:11pm Fri 15 Feb 13
smokintheweed
says...
6:22pm Fri 15 Feb 13
It may be some persons opinion but when a person with any power claims it as a fact then that is certainly worrying.
NakedDancer
says...
6:30pm Fri 15 Feb 13
tap wrote:Well, none of the posts challenge his right to have an opinion.
He is entitled to an opinion. Just because his personal viewpoint does not accord with yours does not make him a prat or out of touch. Everyone has an opinion on this, the level of abuse hurled by posters on this site and others makes me wonder whether we still live in a democracy where the right to free speech entitles all of us to comment on subjects such as this.
However, if a senior elected representative makes statements that show his personal bias and so obviously have no factual basis then criticism of his ability to fulfill the role will inevitably follow.
Llanmartinangel
says...
10:13pm Fri 15 Feb 13
NakedDancer wrote:Quite so.
tap wrote:Well, none of the posts challenge his right to have an opinion.
He is entitled to an opinion. Just because his personal viewpoint does not accord with yours does not make him a prat or out of touch. Everyone has an opinion on this, the level of abuse hurled by posters on this site and others makes me wonder whether we still live in a democracy where the right to free speech entitles all of us to comment on subjects such as this.
However, if a senior elected representative makes statements that show his personal bias and so obviously have no factual basis then criticism of his ability to fulfill the role will inevitably follow.
Slider02
says...
11:55pm Fri 15 Feb 13
P C Neilson
says...
11:39am Sat 16 Feb 13
"A warm and safe environment for the upbringing of children, which is clearly something that two same-sex partners can't do".
He is either purposely lying to push his ideals, or does not understand why opinions are not a good way to gauge reality.
In both cases I would not trust such a mans opinion on important matters. These jack **** should be serving coffee.
Cameron is no equality champion either. He managed to make it illegal to challenge for their rights in churches, before whipping up this 'non issue'. Clever (or not) smokescreen to rile up the bigots, while he continues with his dopey ill planned policies in the background.
Cameron is a fine one to call David Jones out on this.
gathin
says...
1:18pm Sat 16 Feb 13
I believe in women vicars and even tax (to a certain measure), it doesn't really matter if any of us agree with this or not as people will just do as they please anyway.
Llanmartinangel
says...
1:45pm Sat 16 Feb 13
gathin wrote:What is 'normal' behaviour these days? Dad doin' crack? Dad out clocking up ASBOs? Kids being fed to teenage obesity by stupid parents? Children adapt and whilst the idea of single sex parents might not be everyone's idea of 'perfection', assuming they can't bring up a child in a loving and secure environment looks like prejudice to me. As for a 'vote-need' government, all the evidence shows that it was unpopular with many people and, if this is the case, you can't have it both ways.
Having to call 2 men- dad or 2 women-mum has got to be a vey confusing exercise for a child. I don't think it would be fair on children as it's not normal behaviour, it's the behaviour of a vote- need government and if it were normal it would have been done ages ago.
I believe in women vicars and even tax (to a certain measure), it doesn't really matter if any of us agree with this or not as people will just do as they please anyway.
P C Neilson
says...
3:22pm Sat 16 Feb 13
Katie Re-Registered
says...
12:28pm Sun 17 Feb 13
What heterosexist nonsense! I'm sure that both same-sex and different-sex couples are equally as capable or incapable of providing a "warm and safe environment" to raise children. Moreover, the people most likely to blame if children aren't being raised in a warm environment are the tie-wearing gendernormative politicians for failing to stand up to the utilities companies raising gas and electric bills to extortionate, inaffordable levels whilst keeping workers' wages low in their folorn attempts to satisfy the insatiable desire of their big business masters who 'allow' them to rule.
smokintheweed says...
2:56pm Fri 15 Feb 13