Writing to my MP in support of same-sex marriage

I just sent an email to the MP in my home town, and the MP in my uni town. Mostly it was repetition of the stuff from the survey (see earlier blog post) but I thought I'd share that additions I made.

"I am a parishioner of a church in Central London where at least 50% of the congregation is queer - we love it! We think Christianity fully embraces and loves the queers, and we all worship on perfectly equal terms. It would be glorious to be able to add queer weddings to our services.

It is not fair to ask me to commit myself to the person I love in different ways dependent on their gender. I fall in love with men and women the same, why can't I commit to them the same? There will be no difference in the ferocity of my love and want of commitment. I cannot believe that if I want to commit myself to the woman I love, I will have no say in my own marriage.

I will be a wife. The gender of my spouse should not determine how I become their wife. It should be the same, irrespective of their gender, just like my love."

European Union LGBT Survey

I just completed the European LGBT Survey - if you want to take part in this please go to https://www.lgbtsurvey.eu/html/lgbt2t/startpage.php?open=1&ref=&lang=EN#p2

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is gathering data on our experiences as queers in Europe, and it's indepth, so I'm looking forward to some changes in legislation once the results come out next year.

I thought I'd share with you my answer at the end of the survey, in the box for any other comments. I always take full advantage of these, but alas this was limited to 2000 characters, so I could not be as verbose as I wanted. Still, I got my major gripes across.

"I didn't realise I was bi until 14. I had to research it online rather than ask about it. Friends/family forget about it, assume I'm straight until my relations with other women are mentioned again.

It’s because bisexuality isn’t understood/accepted by general society and the majority of people. Though this is in part because we are a minority of the minority, it’s also society's attitude. I'm proud to be bi, and it’d be nice to be on par with homo/hetero sexualities.

We’re forgotten in conversation about queer issues; when it comes to marriage, people forget that making two different but equal partnerships for mixed-sex and same-sex couples is still not equal for us - we have to take different routes depending on to whom we want to commit.

I think that the majority in the UK are accepting of homosexuality or at least not militant in their opposition, and I feel lucky to live here; but I want to be able to choose either a civil or a religious marriage regardless of the sex of my chosen life partner. It’s not true equality unless we have equal choice. I don't want to be forgotten or lumped in with gays or straights depending on context.

I’m so glad that homosexuality is openly talked of and accepted. It’s time bisexuality gets the same status, in media particularly. Otherwise it won’t be understood, and that leads to difficulties for us - we encounter stereotypes, misconceptions and myths.

I may be a rare sexuality, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be understood/accepted like any other minority. Don’t forget me! I’m not gay, or straight, or both, I’m bi, just get that already.

The other thing is I'm Christian. It’s sad that a lot of people can’t believe a Christian can queer, or any religious person for that matter. It’s wrong for the majority of people to think that there’s one religious view on LGBT. Spread the word, God loves the gays! At least some of us believe so, Christian, Jew, Muslim etc. Girl on my arm, cross round my neck; I live content that it’s all good"