"I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative." As British PM David Cameron stated his position on the matter to his party conference some months ago, these words will surely become part of our history.
There are plenty of things I don't agree with Cameron on. For example, I celebrate multiculturalism. I am all for a strong social welfare system. I guess I am just a liberal who cares for social justice when it comes to economic matters. But I have to admit on social matters, I am generally quite conservative. Granted I usually come on the libertarian side on social matters, but my personal preference remains conservative.
A long time ago I used to be, well, homophobic. Why? Like all those idiots out there, I thought that gay people were hedonistic, often prosmiscuous, with no semblance of family values. Still, in the interest of upholding my libertarian values I principally supported marriage equality. But regarding my 'understanding' of gay people, how wrong was I?
Gay couples are as able to commit and form families as straight couples, and that's what matters. That's why they want, and need, marriage equality. Granted there are other ways to recognise and encourage commitment, as I have said before, but equal treatment shouldn't be denied to ANY couple willing to commit for life, and thus contribute to our basic social fabric.
No fault divorce, 'social' abortions, polyamorous 'couples', sexualised popular music etc. are all things that I have concluded I must tolerate out of my libertarian principles, but continue to make my conservative heart cringe. Same-sex marriages, however, are a different thing. They are something to cherish, something to celebrate. Something that, as many of our generation would like to say, I truly 150% support.
What we need now is more fellow social conservatives to come out, saying the same thing.
Doing sociology and philosophy in real time by looking at developments in contemporary Western politics and culture, from a Moral Libertarian perspective. My mission is to stop the cultural systemist left and the authoritarian right from destroying the West's Enlightenment traditions.
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