February 7, 2013Dear Sir,It is fantastic that a Conservative British Government passes a law allowing gay people to get married and enjoy the civil rights that come with this partnership. This comes on the back of France passing the same law last month.Clearly these cultures are more sophisticated and progressive than we are in recognising the discrimination that existed before this law was passed. They understood that this was the right thing to do. A government needs to lead by example even though many of its citizens are not ready for change, often based on religious beliefs.I have been in a committed relationship with my partner for 20 years but we do not have any civil rights in Bermuda. How can society judge that my relationship with another woman is less valuable than a relationship with a man? Beside the fact that my backwards Island has yet to give homosexuals basic human rights, it also remains completely unfair that my foreign “wife” cannot live and work in Bermuda. We have been living in separate countries.I realise that I live in a conservative, homophobic, bigoted society with too much influence by a church that interprets the Bible a certain way and casts judgment on others. How is it that other churches, such as the Anglican church accepts homosexuality? The way things look now, however, it is likely that Afghanistan will pass this gay marriage law before Bermuda.CLARA SMITH