Heterosexual Couple refused Civil partnership
Heterosexual couple Lucy Hilken and Tim Garrett yesterday had their application for a civil partnership refused. They are now the eighth couple to have their request snubbed and are planning to commence legal action. Over the past two months as part of the Equal Love campaign, four straight couples and four gay couples have applied for partnerships that they are legally not entitled to.
There is currently a legal ban on opposite sex civil partnerships and a court action is scheduled to be launched on December 21st. Organised by gay rights activist, Peter Tatchell, the Equal Love campaign aims to overturn the bans on gay marriage and straight civil partnerships giving both straight and gay couples a choice. Backed by OutRage!, Equal Love states that ‘both civil marriages and civil partnerships should be open to everyone without discrimination’.
Earlier in the month, lesbian couple Colette French and Katie Green were turned away from Petersfield Register Office in Hampshire at the start of December when they applied to marry. Although expecting denial, Ms Green commented ‘We were not expecting to be treated so unkindly. I felt humiliated and not respected. The staff didn’t seem willing to listen or comprehend our case’.
After yesterdays refusal, Mr Garrett stated ‘We hope Britain will soon join other civilised liberal democracies such as South Africa and the Netherlands, by casting off this unpleasant and offensive form of segregation. Allowing civil partnerships only to gay people and civil marriages only to straight people is unjust discrimination’. A press conference will be held next Tuesday regarding the court proceedings.
Civil Partnerships, first granted under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, give same sex couples rights and responsibilities comparable to civil marriage. Elton John and his partner David Furnish were one of the first civil partnerships to take place in the UK in the December of 2005.
For more information on Equal Love visit http://equallove.org.uk/
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