Labour leaderLondon: Labour party leader Ed Miliband has suggested that churches and other religious institutions in Britain should be free to stage gay weddings.
Miliband has backed the government`s plans to legislate for same-sex marriages as a sign that Britain is a "modern country", The Telegraph reported.
He called for the right to hold same-sex marriages to be extended to faith groups as well.
In a video for the Out4Marriage campaign, Miliband said: "I think, whether you are gay or straight, you should be able to signify your commitment, your love with the term `marriage`, and so the Labour Party provides its wholehearted support for this campaign."
"We will be pushing the government to get on with the process for legislating for equal marriage, and we`ll also be saying to them, where faith groups want to provide that opportunity for gay couples as well as straight couples, they should be able to do so," The Telegraph quoted Miliband as saying.
The British government is currently consulting on proposals for civil marriages for same-sex couples in England and Wales, with legislation promised before the next general election in 2015.
Benjamin Cohen, of Out4Marriage, said: "We need full marriage equality, not a half-step that continues to deny gay couples the right to marry in churches, synagogues and meeting houses that are happy to accommodate them. We hope and trust that the government will come to the same conclusion as the Labour Party."
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