Coalition calls on Lords to reject religious exemptions in Equality Bill
A coalition of liberal religious and social justice groups is calling on the House of Lords to reject religious opt-outs from the Equality Bill. The bill is scheduled for its second reading in the...
View ArticleValentine’s Day protest over Pope’s UK visit
A protest against the Pope’s visit to the UK is to take place in central London this Sunday. It is being planned by the Central London Humanist Group in partnership with the British Humanist...
View ArticleProtestors will tell Pope to ‘snog off’
A ‘kiss-in’ will be held as part of Sunday’s Valentine’s Day protest against the Pope’s visit to the UK. Demonstrators plan to march from London’s Westminster Cathedral to the Italian embassy in...
View ArticleFree equal marriage debate to take place in London tomorrow
In the final weeks of the government’s public consultation on how to implement marriage equality for gay and straight couples, a debate between humanists, Catholics, Jews and social commentators will...
View ArticleChurch of England clergyman: ‘Lord Carey should get over his obsession with...
Members of the Church of England, other faith groups and secularists have quickly responded to deny claims by Lord Carey that David Cameron’s “aggressively secular” government was marginalising...
View ArticleMPs to debate humanist marriage ceremonies
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill is to receive a third and final Commons reading later today, with MPs set to vote on an amendment concerning humanist marriage ceremonies. In the Commons on Tuesday...
View ArticleHumanist wedding amendment withdrawn over concerns of human rights convention...
An amendment to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill concerning humanist marriage ceremonies has been withdrawn during the third and final reading of the bill, after the attorney general warned that it...
View ArticleAmendments urging for civil registrars to opt out of equal marriage...
Several amendments to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill seeking to allow civil registrars to opt out of providing same-sex marriages have been withdrawn. Amendments 16, 17, 18 and 19 concerned...
View ArticleHumanist weddings and equal marriage pension rights to be debated by peers
Plans for humanist weddings and pension rights for those in same-sex marriages will feature in this afternoon’s House of Lords debate of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. As part of the committee...
View ArticleHumanist wedding review amendment included in equal marriage bill
A Government-introduced amendment to the Marriage (Same Sex Marriage) Bill to ensure a full review and public consultation on humanist weddings, has been added to the bill. Baroness Stowell of Beeston...
View ArticleRichard Dawkins: The decision to pardon Alan Turing will send a signal to the...
Humanist Professor Richard Dawkins has welcomed the posthumous royal pardon granted to gay scientist Alan Turing and says it will “send a signal to the world which needs to be sent”. Professor Dawkins...
View ArticleReview launched into marriages by non-religious belief organisations
A review has been launched by the Government into whether or not to allow non-religious belief organisations such as humanists, to perform marriage ceremonies. The review was promised as part of the...
View ArticleToronto holds international mass gay wedding to celebrate World Pride 2014
115 same-sex couples from across the world were married yesterday, in a free ceremony hosted in Toronto’s Casa Loma. An announcement on the official website of the mass wedding stated: “This is not...
View ArticleBaroness Brinton elected Liberal Democrat President
Vocal equal marriage supporter Baroness Sal Brinton has been elected as the new President of the Liberal Democrats. It was announced today that the Lib Dem peer had secured victory in the election to...
View ArticleLabour pledges to introduce humanist weddings
The Labour party has pledged to introduce humanist weddings in England and Wales. This week, a review into the issue which promised as part of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act was finally published....
View ArticleGovernment blocks humanist weddings, after review finds ‘majority’ in favour
The government will not move to introduce humanist marriages – despite a review finding that a majority of the public were in favour. The review, which took place earlier this year, was promised as...
View ArticleHumanist Society Scotland chief quits after same-sex weddings row
The head of the Humanist Society Scotland has resigned, after a bitter feud regarding the country’s ‘first’ same-sex wedding. Couples in Scotland began to marry at 12:01am on December 31, after the...
View ArticleComment: Humanists have always been champions of LGBT rights
Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association Andrew Copson writes for PinkNews on World Humanist Day. Humanists are simply people who see the world as a natural place, best understood by science...
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Comedian Shappi Khorsandi to press for inclusive sex education as new...
Comedian Shappi Khorsandi will campaign for inclusive sex and relationship education in schools – after being named President of the British Humanist Association. The comic was announced today as the...
View ArticleWatch: Stephen Fry explains humanist wedding ceremonies in new video
Stephen Fry narrates a new video for the British Humanist Association explaining different humanist ceremonies, as calls grow for the government to legally recognise humanist weddings in England and...
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