Marriage is sacred and protected and has nothing to do with violating our civil rights.

It's hard in today's society to have a discussion where you want to challenge the status quo because of the 'I gotcha' politics.

That's what representative democracy is about, is members going to Washington but coming home and answering the tough questions.

From a monarchy followed by suffering under Communism, Ethiopians must be given the opportunity to flourish under the greatest of systems - democracy.

The submission of her body without love or desire is degrading to the woman's finer sensibility, all the marriage certificates on earth to the contrary notwithstanding.

Women are no longer just born to be married. We are here to compete with everyone and make a place for ourselves under the sun on our own.

If the rights of civil partners are met differently in law to those of married couples, there is no discrimination in law, and if civil partnerships are seen as somehow 'second class' that is a social attitude which will change and cannot, in any case, be turned around by redefining the law of marriage.

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a hopeless romantic who listens to love ballads and doo-wop songs all the time.