British lawmakers back same-sex marriage: Lessons for the GOP

The bill was championed by Prime Minister David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party — and he's facing outright rebellion

Vice President Joe Biden meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron on the same day the country moves forward in legalizing gay marriage.
(Image credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Britain's House of Commons voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to legalize same-sex marriage, all but guaranteeing passage as the bill now heads to the House of Lords. It was a watershed moment for gays in Britain, where public support for same-sex marriage is very strong. And the bill's passage coincided with the arrival in London of Vice President Joe Biden — who famously outed President Obama as a gay marriage supporter last year — a reminder that the gay rights movement in the U.S. has yet to claim what has become the ultimate prize.

The bill was passed with the strong support of Prime Minister David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party. Facing a predicament that in many ways resembles that of his conservative brethren in the U.S., Cameron has sought to reform the Tories as public opinion shifts away from them on gay marriage. "I am a strong believer in marriage," Cameron said today. "It helps people commit to each other, and I think it is right that gay people should be able to get married, too. This is, yes, about equality. But it is also about making our society stronger."

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.