Friday February 11, 9:20 AM
2000
Yahoo! News
This is London
MPs have voted to legalise gay sex at 16 as a poll today revealed the vast majority of Britons tolerate and accept homosexual relationships.
Within hours of the Commons voting to lower the age of consent for gay men from 18 to 16, the poll showed 72 per cent of people regard homosexual behaviour as "neither right nor wrong but simply a fact of life".
Another 13 per cent said homosexuality was wrong but should be tolerated and the same number said it was wrong and should not be tolerated. On a free vote last night, MPs approved the second reading of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill by 263 votes to 102, a Government majority of 161.
Shadow chancellor Michael Portillo backed the lowering of the age of consent. Mr Portillo voted against the equalisation of the age of consent in 1994, but was not in Parliament for the last vote. Despite the tolerance for homosexuals, the Gallup poll in The Daily Telegraph showed 51 per cent of people in favour of retaining Section 28, the legislation which outlaws the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities.
There was also a significant generation gap in attitudes to homosexuals. Just 35 per cent of the over-65s regarded heterosexual and homosexual relationships as being "of equal value". Among the 18 to 34 age group 72 per cent shared that view.
Gallup conducted telephone interviews with 1,024 adults across Great
Britain between February 2 and 6. The Commons bid to lower the gay age of consent is
certain to face opposition in the Lords.