We have become more tolerant as a country, not less

Published: 10 March, 2011

• JOHN Gulliver (Respecting gay weddings – and the Church’s right to ban them, March 3) missed the point on civil partnerships.

An amendment under the last government permitted religions to conduct them should they wish it. The Quakers, whose Friends’ House is in my ward, were one requesting this. 

There is no obligation on other churches to host civil partnerships. Far from becoming more intolerant, as the column argues, as a country we remain very tolerant, including tolerating those who believe gay people should not yet receive the same level of freedoms as their straight friends and neighbours. Now, that is tolerance.

CLLR ADAM HARRISON
Labour, Bloomsbury ward

• CAN I assume that John Gulliver is not a gay man? 

Perhaps he has not experienced discrimination because he may not condone the Church’s discrimination so readily if he had. I’m not sure what he means by Big Society but I don’t want to live in a society where huge sections are made to feel excluded by organisations that hold even a modicum of influence.

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