BID TO MAKE BRITISH THRONE RULES GAY FRIENDLY

An MP in the UK is hoping to amend a new royal succession bill to allow for a child of an openly gay royal couple to become king or queen.

The Succession to the Crown Bill, which is set to be heard in Parliament today, proposes to put male and female heirs on the same footing.

Under the proposed law, the eldest heir would be entitled to succeed to the throne, regardless of their gender.

In the past, the eldest male heir would automatically supersede any older female heirs.

Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, however, would like the bill to go further by it allowing for the recognition of a gay or lesbian king or queen’s same-sex partner through a same-sex marriage or civil partnership.

“One of the new clauses I am proposing is to future proof the monarchy from charges of discrimination by giving same-sex partnerships the same validity as heterosexual ones in the rights of succession,” wrote Flynn on his blog.

The amendment would also allow the child of an openly gay monarch to take the throne, even if he or she was adopted or born via surrogacy or artificial insemination.

Flynn admitted that there was only a slim chance that he’d succeed in getting the amendment heard and passed. “I am not optimistic that my amendments will be called, but I and a few others will be ready to contribute,” he said.

While the Succession to the Crown Bill has been in the pipeline since 2011, its passage is now being rushed through parliament, reportedly due to the upcoming birth of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton’s first child.