LGBT Labour Co-chair James Asser has laid out our call for marriage equality to build upon the successes of the past 13 years of the Labour Government such as the removal of discrimination in many areas and the creation of Civil Partnerships - a major breakthrough. A number of groups including LGBT Labour were asked by Pink News to put forwards their position on the issue of marriage equality.

James explained "Looking to the future LGBT Labour supports introducing gay marriage and we’re campaigning within the Labour party for it, including during the leadership election – with all five candidates giving their support. We’d like to see the law changed allowing civil marriage to be available to gay and lesbian couples, as well as civil partnerships made available to straight couples, offering both equality and choice.

We also support the moves led by LGBT Labour patron, Lord Alli, to allow churches to hold civil partnerships. Additionally we will keep campaigning on the pledge in our international LGBT manifesto for full recognition internationally of all British couples – whether married or in civil partnerships.

Whilst we should celebrate our successes, we must never be complacent and must continue campaigning for equality. LGBT Labour campaigned when Labour was in office for the recognition of relationships with legal rights; it is now time to take the next step with gay marriage and we’re campaigning for that too."

The Coalition Government is keen to portray itself as being progressive but has yet to make clear where exactly it stands on this issue.

Motion carried by the 2010 LGBT Labour AGM:

GENDER NEUTRAL MARRIAGES AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS

This AGM continues to be proud of Labour’s record in office over a wide area and notes:

• Notable achievements include the introduction of Civil Partnerships and the Gender Recognition Act.

• over 30,000 civil partnerships have been formed in the UK.

• Discrimination remains, however, in spite of the progress we have made.

• This includes Trans people who are married being required to have their marriages annulled to gain gender recognition, same sex couples being barred from marrying and opposite sex couples being denied from entering civil partnerships.

This AGM believes:

• That the current legal position discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity

• That the separate legal recognition of same-sex and heterosexual couples maintains a symbolic separation within society

This AGM therefore calls for further steps towards full equality for LGBT people and agrees to campaign at all levels within the Party for both marriage and civil partnerships to become available without discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

This AGM instructs the national committee:

• To take all action it considers appropriate and necessary to build a consensus within the Labour party, the wider LGBT community and wider society in support of marriage and civil partnership equality

• To advocate for the Labour party to adopt marriage and civil partnership equality as party policy