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UK: Civil Partnerships, Four Years Later

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Four years ago this week, Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles became the first same-sex couple in Great Britain to form a civil partnership, on December 19th 2005. Their union was made possible by the 2004 Civil Partnership Act, implemented to give gay couples the same rights and legal recognition as their straight, married counterparts. But, says human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, “Civil partnerships are not equality.”

So, four years on, is civil partnership working out?

It was undoubtedly a step in the right direction for gay couples. Not only do civil partnerships grant homosexual couples legal rights, but, more widely, they celebrate gay relationships and validate them in the eyes of society. However, even after four years, there are still plenty of legislative inequalities to iron out.

Full Story from Se7en Magazine: http://se7enmagazine.com/the-issue/39-europe/813-can-we-make-civil-partnership-work-.html

Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in civil partnerships, england, Gay Marriage, marriage equality, northern ireland, scotland, uk, united kingdom, wales | No Responses »

UK: Civil Partnerships Reach Four Year Anniversary

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Today marks the fourth anniversary of civil partnerships in England and Wales. Although Scotland celebrated its first civil partnership on December 20th 2005 due to a misunderstanding over the date, today marks the fourth anniversary for gay couples in England and Wales.

The very first to take place was on December 4th 2005, for a gay couple where one partner was terminally ill.

Four years ago today, three couples simultaneously tied the knot at 8am in Brighton – the exact time the legislation came into effect. The first three couples were Rev Debbie Gaston and Elaine Gaston, Gino Meriano and Mike Ullett and Roger Lewis and his partner Keith Willmott-Goodall.

Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/happy-fourth-anniversary-for-civil-partnerships/

Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in civil partnerships, england, fourth anniversary, Gay Marriage, scotland, uk, united kingdom, wales | No Responses »

Scotland: Gay Marriage A Long Way Off, Equality Leader Says

Friday, December 11th, 2009

The leader of the Scottish Government’s Equality Unit has said there is no end in sight for the equal marriage debate.  Hilary Third told delegates at the opening of the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation General Assembly in Edinburgh that while Scotland had made “significant progress” since decriminalisation, there was still a long way to go.

And she added that the constitutional arrangement of Scotland in the UK might get in the way of any debate on equal marriage.

Hosted by LGBT Youth Scotland and supported by the Scottish Government, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and Edinburgh City Council, delegates of the biggest stand alone IGLYO event in 25 years will spend two days discussing the most pressing issues facing gay and lesbian young people.

Full Story from the Pink Paper: http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=2133

Click here for gay marriage resources.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.
 

Posted in Gay Marriage, marriage equality, scotland, uk, united kingdom | No Responses »