“Equal” or Real Marriage debate at Tory Party Conference
Forty people attended a lunch time debate rearranged at half an hour’s notice at the Tory Party Conference on Tuesday lunchtime,
Policy Exchange reversed their earlier decision to pull out of the debate and agreed that David Skelton, author of their paper What’s in a Name? – is there a case for equal marriage? could debate with Dermot O’Callaghan, member of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland.
David Skelton argued that marriage was such a powerful and valuable marriage that it raised the question why gay people are not allowed to participate in it to address many of the difficulties that gay people face.
Dermot O’Callaghan responded that this was a classic example of heterocentrism objected to by gay scholars. If something is found to work in society, heterocentism supposes that a transplant to gay relationships would produce the same positive result. “Heterocentrism lies at the heart of the Policy Exchange document” claimed O’Callaghan. “It is not marriage that pacifies a young man, but a woman,” he said.
A lively floor debate followed which was filmed by two media agencies, including the Independent. It is planned that the debate will be carried on Anglican Mainstream.
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