The Home Secretary and the Minister for Women and Equalities, Mrs Theresa May, has said that she has done a U-turn on same-sex adoption and now in favour of it.

Her announcement comes as the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition publishes a document which reveals that the Government is committed to pushing homosexual ‘rights’ on other countries.

The Conservatives have also ditched their plan to give tax breaks to married couples under pressure from their new coalition partners.

Mrs May made the remarks during an appearance on Question Time last week, when she was questioned about her voting record on homosexual issues.

She said: “If those votes were today, yes, I have changed my view and I would take a different vote.”

Mrs May has recently faced intense pressure because she has previously voted against some homosexual ‘rights’ legislation.

And press reports claim that one internet site has gathered almost 70,000 signatures calling for Mrs May to be sacked as the Minister for Equalities because of her voting record on homosexual issues.

In 2002 Mrs May voted against same-sex adoption, and in 2000 she voted against the repeal of Section 28, a law which banned local authorities from promoting homosexuality in schools.

She also missed votes on the controversial Gender Recognition Bill, which allows transsexuals to be legally recognised in their desired sex.

Mrs May added: “On gay adoption I have changed my mind… because I have been persuaded that when you are looking at the future for a child, I think it’s better for a child who is perhaps in an institutional environment, if they have an opportunity of being in a stable, family environment – be that a heterosexual couple or a gay couple”.

The coalition government released details of its programme for government last Thursday.

The programme, entitled The Coalition: our programme for government, contains a number of commitments to advance homosexual ‘rights’.

It says: “We will use our relationships with other countries to push for unequivocal support for gay rights and for UK civil partnerships to be recognised internationally.”

The programme for Government also contains a number of other commitments including a pledge to promote “better recording of hate crimes” against homosexual and transgender people, and a commitment to tackle homophobic bullying in schools.