UK: Bill Introduced to Allow Gay Rpyals and Their Children to Be Heirs to Throne

The contrast between the United Kingdom and America continues to be striking when the issue is gay marriage.  While Barack Obama has stated that he supports same sex marriage, no legislation has been introduced for the passage of nationwide gay marriage.  In contrast, in the UK, the conservative Tory Party is pushing marriage legislation.  As for self-style American conservatives and Christofascists - and their political whores in the Republican Party - nothing less that perpetual second class status for LGBT citizens will suffice.  Into this striking dichotomy, a bill have been introduced in Parliament that would allow gay royals to ascend to the throne as well as their children born of same sex unions.  One can just imagine the shrieks and sheets of spittle that must be emanating from the Catholic Church leadership and their anti-gay allies in the Church of England in Britain.  Here are highlights from Pink News on the legislative development:

Parliament is due to pass legislation shortly to allow for the first child of Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge to rule as monarch regardless of whether they are a boy or a girl. Now Labour MP Paul Flynn is gathering support for an amendment that will extend the protection to include the eventuality that the child is gay or lesbian.

If accepted, the change to the law could lead to the reign of an openly gay or lesbian king or queen and for their same-sex partner to be recognised as consort. Any children born to the couple through artificial insemination or surrogacy would succeed to the throne so long as the couple are in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership. Current inheritance laws mean that if the couple had a child through adoption, they would not join the line of succession for the throne and it is not clear MPs would seek to change this.

In order to secure a full debate, the amendment needs to be accepted by John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons, almost certain as he is a strong supporter of LGBT rights. It is expected to have the support of many Labour, Liberal Democrats and most Conservatives that back David Cameron’s plans to introduce same-sex marriage.

The amendment would be to a law that as well as making inheritance gender neutral, will allow future royal babies to marry Catholics if they wish although the royal must remain in the Church of England.