Civil Partnership UK has been passed!

RogueVox

[in an email from Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall]
The Civil Partnership Bill was passed by the House of Lords tonight!!

It's wonderful news and we wanted you to be the first to know.

It could be another year before the first civil partnerships can take place while registration systems are set up across the country. We'll be in touch soon to let you know how it is going to work.

The Bill represents a historic step forward for lesbian and gay people in Britain.

A huge thank you for all your support and encouragement over the past few months - we couldn't have got here without you.

damien

Wooo hooo ! Next comes Ireland.

http://uk.gay.com/headlines/7144
Civil Partnerships to become law
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK
Wednesday 17 November, 2004

The House of Lords has voted to back Civil Partnerships in the final vote on the bill.

Same-sex couples across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will now be allowed to register their relationship and be legally recognised for the first time. Scotland is expected to adopt the laws in the near future. The historic step forward will see lesbian and gay couples have access to the rights and responsibilities on offer to heterosexual couples who wish to hold a civil wedding.

The vote of support comes despite fears that the bill would be blocked by peers just a day before the end of this parliamentary session. Gay groups such as Stonewall feared that a large turn out for the Hunting Bill, which also entered the House of Lords again today, could put the success of the Civil Partnerships in jeopardy.

Additionally, Conservative peers attempted to push an amendment that has already been rejected by the commons, having been widely viewed as a "wrecking tactic". However, the vote was won by a majority of 251 votes to 136. Stonewall's Ben Summerskill said today that the decision was "historic". “This is a historic step forward," he said in a statement this evening.

"Finally, the House of Lords has recognised that Britain is a tolerant twenty-first century nation." His says the broad political support for the bill reflects an important change in British politics. All three major party leaders had supported it, including Conservative leader Michael Howard.

“We’re delighted that the House of Lords has rebuffed those peers who indulged in offensive sneering at Britain’s lesbian and gay population,” Summerskill said. “For the first time, the front benches of all three major political parties have backed equality for gay people. That represents a hugely positive change.”

The bill will now become an Act, which is expected to gain Royal Assent later this year. The first ever Civil Partnership ceremonies are expected to take place next Autumn. Until then, training will be conducted across the country's registrar system, while financial systems dealing with tax and benefits will be amended.

"We’re elated," Summerskill said. "Same-sex couples in long term relationships have waited too long to enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as married people.”

moridin

About time... get your finger out Bertie

Progress is good!

ixoy

Good news innit? I wonder how many people will rush to avail of it when it comes into force. Be a nice thing to say. The UK pushing it through is probably the best influence for Ireland. It's particularly good timing with recent events here, keep it in the news.

Very happy for all concerned.

Stark

Now for the hard part, finding potential husbands

OfflerCrocGod

Bull****. Why isn't it called Marriage? It's great you get the same rights, but why different names??? Subtle form of discrimination I feel.

moridin

I don't like the idea of calling it "marriage".

damien

OfflerCrocGod wrote:

Why isn't it called Marriage?

Because it's not marriage. It's additional rights but is not equal to marriage rights so can't be called marriage. Right now all those right-wing godfearing biblethumping people have left is the idea of marriage. They are just hanging on to a word.

Eventually marriage will be the word for same sex and opposite sex marriage but right now it's not. That's fine with me even though I'd be a traditional person and would like a traditional type ceremony. Right now what's been given to us is a major step and I am happy with this but only on the condition that it is not the final step.

Memnoch

I find it extremely ironic when people talk about trying to "protect the sanctity of marriage" particularly if one looks at divorce rates in most first world countries.

But then ignorance never cares about reality does it?

Still this is a great piece of news, thankfully the UK hasn't followed the US in this like it did in the war.

Stark

Seems to be some confusion around. This is definitely a civil marriage thing and not simply a cohabitation thing right? As in you can walk up to your partner (who you may or may not have been living with) and say "will you 'marry' me?" as opposed to "let's register our living arrangements for tax breaks and inheritance purposes". Big difference between the two. For one thing I'd like it to be the case that if I and my partner had to move away from each other that we'd still be "married" regardless of seperate living arrangements.

OfflerCrocGod

damien.m wrote:

That's fine with me even though I'd be a traditional person and would like a traditional type ceremony.

When I read that I imagined a church wedding with two, big, unshaven blokes ( rugby player physique ) getting married.......one of them in a brides dress

Stark wrote:

As in you can walk up to your partner (who you may or may not have been living with) and say "will you 'marry' me?" as opposed to "let's register our living arrangements for tax breaks and inheritance purposes".

"let's register our living arrangements" Not romantic enough for you Stark ?

falteringstar

This is definitely a civil marriage thing and not simply a cohabitation thing right?

Pretty much since its actually ONLY OPEN to same sex couples, its definetly not just a cohabitation thing, if it was it would be open to others. which i think is cool, if we cant get married they cant have a civil partnership!

Am I correct in thinking that there is a clause in the Good Friday Agreement stating that if Northern Ireland pass any legislation with regard to human rights the Republic has to provide equivalent legislation. And what if anything then can we then expect from our government?

moridin

Yea, there is a clause in it saying that. However, the GFA is just an agreement between the parties involved, not legislation AFAIK.

damien

falteringstar wrote:

Am I correct in thinking that there is a clause in the Good Friday Agreement stating that if Northern Ireland pass any legislation with regard to human rights the Republic has to provide equivalent legislation. And what if anything then can we then expect from our government?

No, not exactly. A NI citizen is entitled to the same rights in the rest of Ireland as they are in NI. The same applies for an Irish citizen that moves to the North.

This should make things interesting when civil partnerships become a reality in the Uk and NI. NI citizens will therefore have to have the same rights and protection in the rest of Ireland as they get in the North.

BuffyBot

It doesn't nessecarily follow that this legislation will apply to Northern Ireland, does it? After all, there are plenty of laws which apply to England and Wales only, and have an alternative (or in some cases no) version for NI

falteringstar

If an NI citizen could have it recognised here then it would only be logical for it to give ROI citizens.?


As far as Im aware Northern Ireland is at the moment under Direct Rule, therefore the law has been passed for them by Westminster. And NI, Scotland and Wales are included in the Act with only very minor differences.

damien

BuffyBot wrote:

It doesn't nessecarily follow that this legislation will apply to Northern Ireland, does it?

It does on matters like this.

the_syco

OfflerCrocGod wrote:

Bull****. Why isn't it called Marriage? It's great you get the same rights, but why different names??? Subtle form of discrimination I feel.

My view;
Marraige is church sponsored union.
Civil Union is state sponsored union.

Its nice to see a seperation between state and religon.

koneko

the_syco wrote:

My view;
Marraige is church sponsored union.
Civil Union is state sponsored union.

Its nice to see a seperation between state and religon.

Then it should be called Civil Union for straight couples that aren't married in a church, but it isn't. Registry office, church, doesn't matter it's both marriage.

I agree with offler, civil union just seems like they named it that to shut up the homophobes. "Marriage is only for men and women, not gays" "ah yeah well they're not married, it's a civil union". It's a step in the right direction, but there should be no difference imo between a "straight marriage" and a "gay one".