Love Equality

FANTASTIC! The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passes its House of Commons Third Reading by 366 votes to 161! #EqualMarriage—
Stonewall (@stonewalluk) May 21, 2013

That Old Hierarchy Of Love

Legislation to legalise gay marriage returns to the commons today (UK) which will inevitably put a spotlight on any MP who opposes it. I include abstainers in the no vote as in this case it’s a pretty clear cut yes or no proposal.

On Friday the Church Of England issued a statement that in the event of gay marriage becoming law the prospect of abolishing the current civil partnership arrangements or extending them to opposite sex couples would cause ‘confusion’.

Maybe those who say gay marriage will dilute the meaning of heterosexual marriage and what it means are somehow fighting to save the benefits  of heterosexual privilege. It’s a status thing isn’t it? And it’s change. People hate change. And some people really get off on enforcing a hierarchy,still if only in their minds.

My marriage is better or more ideal than your marriage, they will continue to say. Same old, same old.That we’re still hung up on marriage as the top of the relationship tree and don’t recognise long term partnerships in common law is lamentable enough. Laws don’t always change attitudes. Sometimes attitudes prompt legislation and other times the road is long and equality takes longer to achieve in practice.

Look at the equal pay act of 1970. That was meant to pay women the same as men for performing the same job. We’re still fighting that one despite the legislation of equality.

To the opposer’s of legalising gay marriage I refer them the recent debate in the New Zealand parliament and the comments of Maurice Williamson who attempted to address their concerns.

Read All About The Bleedin’ Obvious

In other news – water found to be wet and forgetting to breathe may cause an acute inability to stay alive. Excuse me while I bang my head repeatedly against a lamp post.

Daily Express
May 17 2013

Shed Flat Shed

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The Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Apr 11 2013

It would seem that Northampton council have been using a council flat to store tools for eight years. Makes a mockery of the bedroom tax somewhat. Only discovered due to a freedom of information request seeming.

Source

Schismogenesis And The Death of Margaret Thatcher

Watching the cultural divisions in British society open chasm-like over the polarised responses to of the death of  former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher does seem to play along anthropological schismogenesis lines. The angry misogynistic name calling and celebratory death parties seem almost a response to the near apotheosis taking place at the other end of the political spectrum.

Her funeral may be cathartic for some. It certainly isn’t going to bring us closer together as a nation.

Original image by Renee Turner available under this creative commons licence

Wandering Into An Old Neighbourhood And Seeing Nothing Familiar

Don’t ask me why but i thought I’d have a look at the top 40 singles chart (UK). Now I feel like an octogenarian who has peeked inside a night club just to deliver a quiet vocal ‘tut’.

The British Budget Home Loans Prayer

Our love of home ownership

which art in heaven

Hallowed be thy status

Thy price shall be over valued

In Britain as it is decreed by dwindling supply

Give us this day our much needed deposit

And forgive us our immense debt

As we conveniently ignore the possibility that interest rates will rise

Lead us not into eternal austerity

But extinguish the dream of affordable housing

Forever and ever

Amen