Peers in the UK’s House of Lords have voted overwhelmingly in favour  of a special amendment to the UK’s Equality bill that allows them to get married in churches and other religious places.

This new move and change in the law does not force churches, temples and other religious places of worship  to carry out same sex civil partnerships, but allows those with a more modern and forward thinking attitude to gay marriage to do so if they wish.

This new  amendment was proposed in The House of Lords, by openly gay  Lord Alli, a Labour peer who has done much in the fight for equality for lesbians and gay men.   His amendment was backed by lords from  three main political  parties, and a free vote was held.   Despite some strong opposition from some of the religious leaders in the house,  the vote was won by 95 to 21.

During the debate Lord Alli,  said: “Religious freedom cannot begin and end with what one religion wants. It has to apply equally to the Quakers as it does to the Church of England and to the Liberal Jews as it does to the Catholic Church.”

Supporting the move,  Baroness Butler-Sloss,   a retired high court judge “I believe that same sex couples should be able to have religious services in religious establishments where that particular religious establishment permits them do to so.”

Ben Summerskill from Stonewall,  the UK’s leading equality campaigning charity said of  after this land mark news   “We’ve argued throughout that this is an important matter of religious freedom. Ministers have known for some months that we intended to table this measure and we regret that the Government didn’t stand up to the bullying it faced from some churches on this issue. We’ll now work closely with ministers to ensure that we secure implementation of this further step towards equality.

Original Text:

http://www.gayagenda.com/2010/03/church-ban-on-gay-ceremonies-lifted/