News

UK Prime Minister Is Right: Freedom To Marry Is A Conservative Value

October 7, 2011

(Washington, DC) - Log Cabin Republicans support Prime Minister David Cameron in his call for marriage equality in the United Kingdom.

"President Reagan and the Republican Party expanded upon the achievements of Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party. We should now look to the example set by David Cameron in embracing marriage equality. It is the conservative thing to do," said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper. "Americans are recognizing the freedom to marry is about the fundamental value of individual liberty. From leaders in the New York State Senate to the United States House of Representatives, American conservatives are standing up for the principle of marriage, regardless of the gender of the participants, is about commitment, family and personal responsibility. Recognizing relationships furthers the cause of smaller government and American independence by encouraging stability and preventing reliance on state programs. Like Prime Minister Cameron, we support marriage not in spite of, but because we are Republicans. When the so-called 'Defense of Marriage' Act is repealed and marriage equality is the law of the land, it will be a victory for conservatives worldwide."

Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England Cameron said:

"I stood before a conservative conference once and I said it shouldn't matter whether a commitment is between a man and a woman, or a man and a man, or a woman and woman. And you applauded me," he said. "Five years on, we are consulting on legalizing gay marriage, and to anyone who has reservations, I say this: yes, it's about equality. But it's also about something else: commitment. Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society's stronger when we make vows to each other and we support each other. So I don't support gay marriage in spite of being a conservative, I support gay marriage because I am a conservative."