Because I am a conservative...

A

s of summer 2014, 16 countries and a

number of subnational jurisdictions

have legalised marriage between two

people of the same sex. While the historical

evidence for same-sex marriage is a subject of

historical debate – it may or may not have

existed in the Roman Empire – in its modern

incarnation change has been rapid. In 1989

Denmark granted civil unions (short of

marriage). In 2001 the Netherlands became the

first country to open up marriage to gay and

lesbian couples.

In 2011 British Prime Minister David

Cameron said: ‘Conservatives believe in the ties

that bind us; that society is stronger when we

make vows to each other and support each other.

So I don’t support gay marriage despite being a

Conservative. I support gay marriage because

I’m a Conservative’. In 2014 same-sex marriage

was legalised in England and Wales (Scotland

followed shortly after with separate, but similar,

legislation).

Was this just a good sound-bite in a

Conservative Party Conference speech intended

to persuade doubters in his own party, or was

Cameron justified in making this claim? Of

course, there can be non-conservative arguments

for same-sex marriage, but our concern in this

chapter is with conservative thought. It is worth

noting that many supporters of gay marriage

talk of ‘marriage equality’, whereas opponents

say marriage is being ‘redefined’. This suggests

that opposition was the default conservative

position.

© C. Lyttle/Corbis