Homosexuals who are registered in civil partnerships would receive extended paternity and maternity leave if the Conservative Party is elected to govern the country, David Cameron promised in an interview with a homosexual magazine.
Giving an interview to Attitude, a British homosexual magazine distributed worldwide, the leader of the Conservative Party said that the party’s proposal to extend paternity and maternity rights would apply to same-sex couples who adopted children or used artificial insemination.
Under Labour plans, maternity leave is to be extended to 52 weeks by 2010. After the first 26 weeks, parents can choose whether the mother or the father stays at home.
Conservative plans are set to be more flexible, allowing parents up to 26 weeks of leave together.
Mr Cameron made another step to blur the distinction between marriage and civil partnerships by repeating his promise that homosexuals in civil partnerships would enjoy the same tax breaks as married couples.
He said that there were a number of homosexuals in prominent positions in the Conservative party, who voters could look to as evidence that the Tories had changed.
In January 2010, Mr Cameron had said that schools should teach children that homosexuality is normal and that homosexual civil partnerships have as much value as marriage, and therefore, equal treatment for homosexual people should be ‘embedded’ in the country’s school teaching.
(See the CCFON report)
In February 2010, an openly homosexual Tory politician praised a ‘definite change’ in the party's attitude towards homosexuals.
Nick Herbert, who is a Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs, and Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, claimed that if the Tories won a majority at the next general election they would have at least 15 openly homosexual MPs – which he said would most likely be more than Labour.
(See the CCFON report)
In his provocative speech to the American Republicans in Washington DC on 17 February 2010, he said that homosexuality may be ‘given by God’ and that a Conservative Government would legislate to promote ‘gay equality’.
(See the CCFON report)
In July 2009, David Cameron had issued an extraordinary apology on behalf of the Conservative Party for legislation banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools after he accepted an invitation to join a celebration at London Gay Pride 2009 event in London.
Speaking to Stonewall at the event, he said that a 'culture change has got to come' and that, as far as commitment and marriage are concerned, there is no difference in marriage between a man and a man, a woman and a woman, or man and a woman.
The Conservative Party has made a number of statements in recent months showing its support for homosexual issues.