A Green Party member of the Brighton and Hove City Council in Sussex has drawn criticism from other members of her party for voting against a motion in support of gay marriage. Councillor Christina Summers supports civil partnerships but is opposed to gay marriage for religious reasons.
Councillor Summers has received criticism in the form of emails and at least one call for her expulsion from the party. Summers was quoted in the Daily Telegraph regarding the backlash:
“The response to the way I debated and voted against [the motion] has been very vicious, but it doesn’t surprise me because whenever I or any Christian touches on issues of life or identity it does elicit a very, very violent response with very strong accusatory language.”
“At the end of the day those who voted to try to expel me would have had some suspicion about me being a Christian anyway, and coming in [to the party].”
The Brighton and Hove Green Party has convened an inquiry panel to discuss whether or not the situation merits further action. The panel has extended an invitation to Councillor Summers to attend. One of the issues at stake is whether or not Summers compromised the declaration that she signed in order to become a Green Party candidate. The panel cannot remove Summers from the City Council or kick her out of the party. Regarding the possibility of further action, Brighton and Hove Green Party Executive Director Rob Shepherd has stated:
“Should the panel decide to take action, it has a variety of options, including writing to Councillor Summers and seeking mediation between Councillor Summers and those who have expressed concerns.
“It also has a power to exclude a councillor from membership of the Green Group of councillors, effectively making him or her an independent councillor, though still a member of the party.”
This is not the first time that Councillor Summers has felt ostracized for taking what Executive Director Shepherd calls a “position of conscience”. She feels that the reaction to her stated opposition to abortion in the past exposed a “violent prejudice” against her beliefs in the Green Party.
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I could and have, now I am tired of and
just done with you
As for logic it has been provided over and over again and I have no more patience to keep explaining it. My brain and gut are in alignment on this and neither one has any use for you and your nonsense.
In the meantime, fuck off.
Obviously, you can’t respond with facts and logic. Your feelings on the matter don’t come from your brain, they come from your gut, as you admitted above.
Perhaps after you have resolved the deep-seated psychological issues and are able to think clearly, you will have something intelligible to say on the matter.
In the meantime, I will be glad to make sure innocent readers aren’t led astray by your visceral Communist programming.
Cheers.
@11 Not only are you wrong, you are
just boring.
Not worth the time to respond to such drivel.
I don’t.
Sure you do. Barry had it posted on his own campaign website about he was born under the British Nationality Act. You are claiming this is BS. So, tell us why Barry is lying.
He is a natural born US citizen because he was born in the US,
This is false and treasonous.
Period
Did you speak out against the attempted coup by Panamanian-born strongman Juan McCain?
it still makes me sick.
Sounds like Communist programming has indeed embedded itself so deep in your subconscious it is in your bowels. Scary stuff.
Thanks Christina for your brave activism on the social right but economic left. You seem like a good fit for the Catholic Trotskyist Party.
Ditto to #8, and the same goes for Bush and the “Truthers” as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t. He is a natural born US citizen because he was born in the US, period, end of story, and I am sick and tired of hearing the wacko nonsense about how he’s not.
I don’t even like the guy at all and it still makes me sick.
Paulie- why do you think Obama II is BSing you about who his father is?
We cover other nations all over the world sometimes, that’s nothing new. The natural born subject BS….take that to the cow pasture.
@2 — We *do* have a (prima facie) natural-born British subject in the White House right now — so anything is possible?
“Covering America’s third parties and independent candidates since May 2008 “
lol, I missed that part…….?
“It isn’t easy being Green!”
– Kermit the Frog