A petition for the ‘Coalition for Marriage’ asking the government to keep the legal definition of marriage between a man and a woman is gaining support.

Organisers hope that recent full page adverts in national newspapers will increase its popularity and demonstrate the ‘genuine public concern’ over plans for gay marriage.

In Boscombe, at Corpus Christi Church last Sunday, Father Denis Blackledge signed the petition and made it available at all four masses.

“We strongly encouraged folk to write to their MP or sign C4M online,” Denis told me. He also said that the view of one of his gay parishioners was that ‘marriage’ for gays was ‘not appropriate’ – by all means have civil partnerships for long-term committed same-sex relationships, but don’t call it marriage.

“The civil definition of marriage is clear enough – it involves a man and a woman in a committed relationship,” Denis said.

At the Metropolitan Community Church in Bournemouth, lesbian couple Barbara Burden and Jan Tipper have been in a long-term relationship for 16 years and would like the opportunity to celebrate their marriage in a place of worship.

“Marriage should be available to all people regardless of their sexuality,” Barbara said.

“Same-sex couples should be given the opportunity to celebrate their love for one another and also give them legal and financial benefits. Denying same-sex marriage is a form of discrimination and a violation of human rights.

“People of faith should be given the choice of being married in their church.”

Their Reverend, Dwayne Morgan, agrees. “We are delighted the government is taking this step to further promote equality for lesbian and gay people,” he said.

“We’ve never understood why it was necessary to create a second designation of ‘civil partnership’ when everyone should simply have the right to marry the one they love. We’re disappointed that Mr Cameron is stopping short of full equality by only offering civil marriage and not religious marriage to gay couples.

“Sadly this religious discrimination against gay people of faith comes just after many church leaders have complained that they are themselves the victim of religious discrimination.

“It’s a shame that they promote the very discrimination that they see themselves as victims of.”

At St Peters in Bournemouth, The Rev Ian Terry said that all human beings are ‘wired up’ by God to need loving relationships with others.

“These are at their best when long-term commitment and mutual faithfulness are envisaged and better still when these are promised,” he said.

“I will support and assist everyone who wants to develop such relationships and make such loving commitment.

“I will stop short of offering marriage to the gay community simply because that has, so far, always been associated with the expectation that a marriage might be blessed with children, and the Church of England, as a whole, is still of that mind.”