Welsh Secretary: Gay Couples Cannot Raise Children
Conservative anti-gay prejudice was under scrutiny again on Friday after the Welsh secretary, David Jones, was forced to backtrack on an assertion that gay couples “clearly” cannot provide a “warm and safe environment” in which to raise children.
His comments, made on a Welsh TV programme, came as the Tory party struggles to maintain unity following the vote 10 days ago on the government’s plans to introduce same-sex marriage.
Jones, one of two cabinet ministers to vote against gay marriage, told ITV Wales’s Face to Face programme: “I regard marriage as an institution that has developed over many centuries, essentially for the provision of a warm and safe environment for the upbringing of children, which is clearly something that two same-sex partners can’t do.
More: Welsh Secretary Criticised for Speaking Against Gay Couples Raising Children
It’s not a surprise that these attitudes are everywhere. What’s encouraging is criticism that quickly arises. That, is progress.