by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

London Mayor Boris Johnson, the second best-known Conservative party leader after Prime Minister David Cameron, said July 3 that he favored ending Britain's ban on same-sex marriage.

Johnson was attending London's Pride Parade when he was confronted by Gay activist Peter Tatchell.

Tatchell held a sign which read "Dave & Sam Cameron [the Prime Minister and his wife] can marry, Gays can't. End the ban on Gay marriage."

Johnson read Tatchell's sign and shrugged "Why not?"

"So you are in favor of same-sex marriage?" Tatchell asked.

"Yes, I don't see why not," Johnson answered.

Tatchell asked once more, and Johnson replied, "Fair enough, the ban should go."

When Tatchell pointed out that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government does not support same-sex marriage, Johnson answered, "Well, they should."

"If the Conservatives and Liberals can get together in a national coalition and settle their differences, I don't see why you can't have Gay marriage," Johnson added.

"If a Gay couple wants to get married in a registry office, why shouldn't they?"

Johnson is the most senior Conservative party leader to endorse same-sex marriage. He had previously disappointed LGBT Londoners by canceling the annual Pride reception begun by his left-wing Labor party predecessor "Red Ken" Livingston.

Lesbian Conservative Member of Parliament Margot James, who marched with Tatchell in the parade, hoped Johnson's support would move other Conservative members.

"It is a big breakthrough to win Boris' backing for marriage equality. His support will increase pressure to end the Gay ban. I am very grateful to the mayor," she said.

"Public opinion is on our side. The government and most MPs are out of touch. An opinion poll conducted by Populous and published by The Times last June found that 61% of the British public support same-sex civil marriage," James continued.

"Civil partnerships are a big advance but they not equality. They are second-class. In a democratic society, we should all be equal under the law. Having separate laws for Gays and heterosexuals is a form of sexual apartheid," Tatchell said.

Same-sex marriage was explicitly banned in Britain in 1971. In 2004, the Labor government passed the Civil Partnership Act, which entitled same-sex couples to all the rights and responsibilities of marriage, but without the formal title.

Labor's Equality Act, which became law in April, allowed civil partnership ceremonies in religious venues. Only a month later, Labor was swept out of office after 12 years in power.

In the 2010 national election campaign, only Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg unequivocally supported marriage equality. Clegg is now Deputy Prime Minister, and junior partner in the governing coalition with the Conservatives.

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