Pressure still on Welsh Secretary in gay marriage row (From Free Press Series)
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Pressure still on Welsh Secretary David Jones in gay marriage row
1:18pm Sunday 17th February 2013 in News
WELSH Secretary David Jones remained under pressure today over comments about gay marriage today as Labour dismissed his denial of being homophobic and demanded a public apology.
Mr Jones insisted he was not opposed to same-sex couples raising children after sparking outrage by appearing to suggest they could not provide a "warm and safe environment’’.
"I did not say in the interview that same-sex partners should not adopt children and that is not my view,’’ said the MP - who had been explaining his decision to vote against the legalisation of gay marriage.
"I simply sought to point out that, since same-sex partners could not biologically procreate children, the institution of marriage was one that, in my opinion, should be reserved to opposite sex partners.’’ "I made the point of stressing that I was fully supportive of committed same-sex relationships. I also strongly approve of civil partnerships,’’ he added in a statement.
In the original interview - with ITV Wales - he said the institution of marriage was meant to provide "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,’’ he said, adding that he had "people in my life who are important to me who are gay’’.
Shadow Welsh secretary Owen Smith has written to David Cameron dismissing the explanation as "obfuscation’’ and calling on the Prime Minister to demand his cabinet colleague withdraw the remark and apologise.
In the letter, he said the remarks "betray a lack of acceptance for same-sex relationships that is out of step with the majority of people in our country.
"I believe you should now ask him to withdraw the comments and apologise. I would also like to ask whether you find it acceptable or appropriate for the most senior Conservative MP in Wales to make these comments?’’ he added.
Mr Smith said: "David Jones has chosen not to apologise for these unacceptable comments. It is time for David Cameron to make clear whether he thinks it is unacceptable for the Welsh Secretary to make these comments.’’ A spokesman for Mr Cameron said last night: "Gay marriage and gay adoption are both conscience issues and, as such, have been treated as free votes. The Prime Minister is a supporter of both.’’
Comments(10)
KarmaSuitsYa
says...
3:05pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Too many politicians say what they think people want to hear, instead of what they think.
Katie Re-Registered
says...
3:33pm Sun 17 Feb 13
The so-called 'Welsh' Assembly isn't representative of the people of Wales because so far it contains not one openly LGBT MP. It remains an exclusively heterosexist and gendernormative place. Or perhaps it really is true that assemblies are merely the places where the **** sit?:)
Katie Re-Registered
says...
3:36pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Newport Spark
says...
5:09pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Dave1234567
says...
5:56pm Sun 17 Feb 13
blackandamber
says...
6:40pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Mervyn James
says...
8:57pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Life is full of people who do not feel at all comfortable with homosexuality. I think this is what many are missing, once others know a child comes from an 'non standard' environment, they will target that child, kids will target anyone different, and the more they emphasise difference the more aggro they get.
I read of some kids teasing and bullying another because they had two married parents, which apparently few others had, some sign of the times when if your parents are married you are the odd one out ! You cannot legislate to educate, the pupil has to be willing and not forced. Prejudice starts at age 7, so the profs say, no matter what loving or caring environment you come from, it sadly seems an fact of growing up and peer pressures.
Legal threats just compound things,make them worse..
Dai Rear
says...
8:42am Mon 18 Feb 13
When the Left use the P-word take a step back and think. After you're 7 you will start to cross the road to avoid certain people who may in fact be harmless but hey! P=(self)preservation
. "Gender" is an etymological term. For example a little girl in German is neuter. So if you mean reproductive capacity then I'm afraid there's only one word - sex.
Cameron opened this can of worms and the Millipedists love it, don't they?And yes I wonder what's next on the homosexual agenda too-outside of animal terrorists they are the most obsessive single issue fanatics I can recall in 7 decades. I never interruptd my parents accidentally in a moment of intimacy I'm happy to say, but had the state forced me to live with 2 males and I had encountered their intimacy.....
Trefor
says...
6:13pm Mon 18 Feb 13
As a public representative, responsible for making the law, he is NOT entitled to say what he likes if it falls foul of those laws, in this case he could express whatever views he likes ` in the chamber of the house of commons` during the debate to make or change laws, after which he promotes obeying that law or he should resign.
The stupid, cretinous, inane statement, he is said to have made is clearly inflamatory and is a slight on those, well balanced, well behaved, ` normal` children and young people who have been raised in same sex parental households, as opposed of course to those youngsters from the `normal` households he so much admires who have ended up on the wrong side of the law, who turn into animal and child abusers, and criminals of all sorts, and dare I say, even, crooked, thieving, imprisoned politicians from both houses of Parliament .
the man id wrong, is claims are inane, and without any factual foundation whatsoever, they are simply the view of one bigoted individual who should have known better than to make such utterings.
Slider02 says...
2:21pm Sun 17 Feb 13