Top conservative leader in same-sex union.

Somehow you just knew we weren't talking about the United States. America remains the only developed country in the world with a major phobia about same-sex relationships. And certainly outside Islam you won't find more fanatical antigay types than the Theopublicans in the United States -- the Mike Huckabee crowd for instance.

According to the London Telegraph, Conservative Party MP and the shadow business secretary for the party, Alan Duncan will into a civil union with his partner James Dunseath. The ceremony is scheduled for the summer and Conservative Party leader David Cameron says he is hoping to attend and is "thrilled" for Duncan and Dunseath. The two meet just over a year ago and Duncan popped the question on Valentines Day.

Both men come from military families and have the blessings of their respective families. The Telegraph quoted Sheila Randall, a Conservative Party activist for 54 years as saying: "Alan and James are lovely men. I was on Alan's selection committee and have know and like him ever since. I am so happy for them both."

The only reason this is news in England is that Mr. Duncan is the first member of cabinet, or shadow cabinet, to enter into a same-sex civil union.

The Christian resistance to marriage equality in the U.S. looks more and more absurd every day. None of the dire consequences that these people predicted have come to pass. Individual equality before the law ought to be respected. I predict it will be and that more and more states will join the civilized world and shun the bigoted legislation the Religious Right has promoted. It will take some time since the Religious Right knew the tide was against them so they pushed through constitutional changes [at the state level] since they knew they'd be in the minority on this matter soon. But the changes will take place. This is one battle the Christianists have lost already. They know they have lost but their hatred for gay people is so intense that they will cling to such laws for as long as possible. And hatred can be a very strong motivator. In fact, it seems very little else is keeping the Republican Party alive these days.