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| Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Protest in France - one million turnout |
The politics around same-sex marriage is really interesting. Unlike other real civil rights issues, this one is being entirely driven by the elites responding to a small, but vocal lobby group of activists. It is opposed strongly by large percentage of the population in most countries where it has been passing lately, yet this does not seem to slow down it's progress despite the electoral kiss of death it confers. As Brendan O'Neill explains:
Throughout modern history, big, democratic, civil rights leaps forward have had two things in common. First, they were demanded by very large and often very angry sections of the public; and second, it took ages and ages for the political classes to concede to them. And when they did eventually cave in and legislate for the new liberty or opportunity being demanded by the hordes, they tended to do so begrudgingly, often while wearing a sneer...
...The gay marriage campaign absolutely eviscerates that view of social progress. It turns it completely on its head. It redefines social progress to mean the polar opposite of what it meant for most of the modern period: no longer the struggle of the man in the street against illiberal officialdom, but rather the struggle of right-on officials against the prejudices and idiocy of the man in the street.
France has just passed same-sex marriage laws despite massive, public, vocal opposition that just won't let up, and now the President's approval rating is the lowest yet for any French President ever - only 24%.
Now, I read that in Britain, Anglican Lords are being threatened if they don't vote for same-sex marriage to pass (hattip WhaleOil). This is after Tory Catholic MPs wrote to the Lords saying that they were pressured to vote the same way, even though they supposedly had a free vote.
The question really is, will the Lords allow themselves to be intimidated? We'll find out soon.
UPDATE: UK Lords overwhelmingly vote for gay ‘marriage’ bill: pro-marriage campaigners not giving up
Related links:
Congratulations, gay marriage campaigners – you have completely destroyed the meaning of social progress ~ Brendan O'Neill, The Telegraph
Hollande's popularity hits new lows after a year at France's helm ~ The Christian Science Monitor
Bishops under pressure to abstain in gay marriage vote ~ The Telegraph
MPs urge Lords to block gay marriage Bill after ‘sham’ free vote ~ Catholic Herald
Pro-marriage revolution building in France: up to 1 million march ~ LifeSiteNews