Gay marriage passes initial British vote

LONDON -- Parliament voted heavily in favor of legalizing gay marriage yesterday, but Prime Minister David Cameron's authority in his own party took a blow as his Conservatives split in two over the measure he had championed.

In the first of several votes required for its passage, the House of Commons backed the legislation by 400-175, but more than half of Cameron's 303 lawmakers voted against or abstained.

During a debate that lasted more than six hours, many Conservative MPs denounced the legislation, saying it was morally wrong, not a public priority, and unnecessarily divisive, threatening a corrosive legacy of bitterness.

Conservative lawmaker Gerald Howarth told Parliament that the government had no mandate to push through a "massive social and cultural change."

"This is not evolution, it's revolution," added Edward Leigh, another Conservative member, saying marriage was "by its nature a heterosexual union."

The vote went Cameron's way, but many analysts believe he will now have to address a deep seam of discontent running through his party. He had made a last-minute televised statement before the vote, arguing that gay marriage would make society stronger.

"I'm a big believer in marriage. It helps people to commit to each other, and I think that's why gay people should be able to get married, too," he said. Later, he hailed the result of the vote as "a step forward for our country."

Justin Welby, the newly elected Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the world's 80 million Anglicans, reiterated his own opposition to gay marriage.

Faced with strong opposition from the Anglican and Catholic churches, the law would not force them to conduct gay marriages, but critics say gay people may launch legal challenges.

The new law proposes legalizing same-sex marriage in 2014. It would also allow civil partners to convert their partnerships into marriages.

Gay marriage supporters say that while existing civil partnerships for same-sex couples afford the same legal rights as marriage, the distinction implies they are inferior.

The bill is still many stages away from becoming law.