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Seven of Nine
Sammie's Mammy
Joined: 16 Jun 2001
Posts: 7871
Location: North East England
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 Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:21 pm Civil Partnerships in UK becomes law |
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| Quote: | Gay couples register for first civil partnerships
(Filed: 05/12/2005)
Three couples hoping to make history by being the first to form civil partnerships have registered their intention to 'marry' as new laws came into force.
Debbie and Elaine Gaston, Gino Meriano and Mike Ullett, and Roger Lewis and Keith Willmott-Goodall arrived at the register office in Brighton's Town Hall at 7.30am to sign up for civil partnerships.
They hope to be the first to form the partnerships when they take part in a joint ceremony in the city at 8am on Dec 21, after a mandatory 15-day waiting period has passed.
Brighton and Hove City Council said the six were believed to be the first in the country to register their intention today, after the register office opened early.
Debra Reynolds, the registrar, said: "It was a spur of the moment thing. I said 'Let's just do it because you have already been waiting for this day for a long time.'"
Gay lobby groups welcomed the Civil Partnerships Act, which gives same-sex couples the right to register their union.
It also entitles them to social security and pension benefits, parental responsibility for a partner's children and the same exemption as married couples on inheritance tax.
Andy Forrest, communications officer for gay rights organisation Stonewall, said: "We are thrilled. The Act is very much what we wanted.
"It's not just about rights, it's also about people caring and being financially responsible for a partner."
Gay rights group OutRage has called the Civil Partnership Act a "major milestone" but said the law did not go far enough because the term 'marriage' is not used in the legislation.
Brett Lock, spokesperson for OutRage, said: "While there is much cause for celebration as gay couples are granted the rights enjoyed by their heterosexual friends, it is not yet true equality.
"Only same-sex marriage is genuine equality."
15 March 2005: First gay weddings expected in Brighton
Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright |
Source
About time too. Now, if we just call them marriages (there's no written constitution stopping us) things would be perfect 
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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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| Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:30 pm |
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I don't think there will be a real push for same sex marry for a while now. We basically have marriage in all but name now. Makes you proud to be British  Well done Tony Blair and the Labour Government
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:56 pm |
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Good for Britain! Now, I hope it doesn't turn out to be marriage. It's the farthest step it should go, but I don't want to get into a debate over that.
As I've said before, I may disagree with them personally, but I am far from opposed, legally, to civil unions, so agian, good for Britain.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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| Mon Dec 05, 2005 5:57 pm |
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Well the General Public and the Media are already calling them same-sex marriage.
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oberon
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Joined: 26 Sep 2005
Posts: 106
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| Tue Dec 06, 2005 11:43 am |
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Magnificent. I hope the United States can take a queue.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:26 pm |
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I actually agree. Again, i may be personally against it, but I would be fine with civil unions. And not only that, but I encourage the legalizing of them in the sense that I would like them to have all the rights and abilities of married couples--as they should--but still not have gay marriage, changing the name. I think nation-wide legalization of civil unions would be appropriate, surprisingly to you all
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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| Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:29 pm |
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I must admit, I am surprised RM, but in a good way  !
But yeah, hopefully Americans will see the British example and follow it.
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TrekkieMage
Office Junkie
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 5335
Location: Hiding
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| Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:19 pm |
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| Republican_Man wrote: | | I actually agree. Again, i may be personally against it, but I would be fine with civil unions. And not only that, but I encourage the legalizing of them in the sense that I would like them to have all the rights and abilities of married couples--as they should--but still not have gay marriage, changing the name. I think nation-wide legalization of civil unions would be appropriate, surprisingly to you all |
I admit that I am surprised. But I'm glad you agree. I think that making a legal equivilent of marriage for gays would be very appropriate. The next problem to tackle though would be trying to bring some of the stigma assosiated with gays and lesbians to an end. But that's another topic
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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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| Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:40 pm |
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Heres a sad story related to the new law:
| Quote: | 'Gay wedding' man dies of cancer
A terminally ill man believed to be the first in Britain to "marry" his partner in a civil partnership has died just one day after the ceremony.
Matthew Roche, 46, who had lung cancer, and Christopher Cramp held their ceremony hours after the Civil Partnership Act became law on Monday.
The couple, from Brighton, were given special permission to go ahead before the normal 15-day waiting period.
The ceremony was held at St Barnabas Hospice in Worthing, West Sussex.
About 20 family and friends were at the hospice where Mr Roche had been cared for during the last four weeks of his life.
For most couples in England, the first day they will be allowed to tie the knot is 21 December.
Mr Roche feared that he would not live that long and Mr Cramp applied to the Worthing registrar for special permission for their ceremony to go ahead straight away.
The couple, who have been together seven years, were legally joined at 1100 GMT on Monday.
The hospice said Mr Roche died on Tuesday afternoon.
After the civil partnership, Mr Roche had said: "I really, really needed to get married and we are very lucky indeed to be given the opportunity.
"Chris and I have always wanted to do this - it is just a shame that I have been taken so early."
Mr Cramp said he had mixed feelings about the bitter-sweet occasion.
But he said he was very happy that the couple had managed to reach the point where they could be in a legal partnership. |
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:44 pm |
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That's sad. But at least he went out knowing that he died in a civil union--almost like a marriage--with his partner
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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