Newlyweds targeted with hate mail over petition hand-in

Do you remember Rhys and Esther Curnow – the young newlyweds who went to Downing Street to help us hand in the first half million names on our petition? They’ve since been targeted with a vile hate mail campaign.

The Telegraph reports on the story in today’s paper. The intolerance and abuse is shocking and totally unacceptable.

Rhys Curnow told the Daily Telegraph: “We are really shocked and saddened at what’s happened. I’ve protected my wife Esther from the worst of it, but she’s is understandably distressed, as any young wife would be.

“We’re at a loss to understand how people could be so vicious. All we did was hand in a petition at Downing Street. Surely there’s room for people to disagree without resorting this kind of hatred and abuse.

“By all means let’s have a debate – especially as the public haven’t had the chance to vote on this issue. But the bullies are trying to shut down the debate. We’re shaken and upset, but we won’t let them get us down.”

Sadly, it’s not the first time we’ve seen such bullying. David Burrowes MP has received a death threat for his opposition to redefining marriage. The Archbishop of York received hate mail, some was of a racist nature.

The intolerance and intimidation shown to supporters of traditional marriage includes the groundless investigation of C4M advertising by the Advertising Standards Authority, and the refusal by the Law Society and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre to host a debate about whether marriage should be redefined.