LONDON: Mayor Boris Johnson Endorses Same-Sex Marriage

London's Mayor Boris Johnson has become the highest ranking Tory to support marriage equality. Johnson made the comments during the city's gay pride parade yesterday.

Kicking off the parade with members of the Gay Liberation Front, Mr Johnson said: “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”. Mr Johnson is the highest-ranking Tory figure yet to support full marriage equality. His stance indicates his feelings on the subject may have progressed somewhat, as he once wrote that gay marriage "can only ever be a ludicrous parody of the real thing". He added: “Pride shows that London is the most generous, open, diverse city, whatever your background”. He said that London’s Worldpride celebration in 2012 would be “the biggest ever”. When asked whether he wanted to run again as mayor to run the city for the event, he said: “I hope so. I'd be pretty mad not to.” Mr Johnson made his pro-gay marriage declaration in response to a placard being carried by gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.

Civil partnerships became legal in the UK in 2005.