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Petition for residents of Great Britain regarding same-sex marriages

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Kelda:

--- Quote from: milomorris on July 14, 2011, 10:55:26 pm ---1.

"Until now it has been banned for civil partnership ceremonies to include religious readings, music or symbols and forbidden for them to take place in religious venues, regardless of the views of the building's owners. In Scotland, which has its own legislation, some church parishes offer blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples."

I don't understand why the UK bans religion from the partnerships, but I would imagine that there are churches that are willing to consecrate same-sex unions according to the denominational traditions of each. That would mean that, like in the US, secular recognition and sacred recognition require 2 separate processes. So unless hetero couples only need one process to accomplish both secular and sacred recognition, there is no legal inequity.

2.

Additionally, a clergy can perform civil marriages, whereas only specified registrars can perform a civil partnership.

This creates an inequity in access, not the law.

3.

On a technical level there are differences. A partnership is formed when the second of the two parties signs the partnership papers. This is not necessarily a public ceremony or even an event that happens at the same time as the first signature.

This flexibility means that couples can essentially become partnered in private, if they wish. In contrast, a marriage happens when the partners exchange spoken words and also sign the register.

I would call the separate, or private signings an advantage. Of course, there's nothing stopping a partnered couple from making a public statement, but its not required.

Overall, I don't see any good reasons to make the change called for by the petition. The UK has created a system that offers legal parity for both homo and hetero couples. This is hairsplitting.


--- End quote ---

1) No we only need one service in the UK. In England, Ireland and Wales either a civil ceremony or a religious one. In the Scotland you can also have a humanist celebrant on top of those 2.

2) Yes, access. Again in Scotland Humanists can do civil partnerships.

3) Your opinion, but I can understand why some want to be married by a clergy and want to be called married legally. Although everyone basically calls it this. I'd say gay friends are married.

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