UK: House of Lords Votes 95-21 to Allow Gay Weddings in Welcoming Churches

When the Church of England's bishops defeated a clarification of the Equality Bill's clause on religious exemption last month it was possible to construct a principled defence of their position. But the campaign to block the celebration of civil partnerships from other denominations' buildings was wholly indefensible. Last night it failed by a spectacular margin in the House of Lords - 95 to 21; although the bishops' votes were evenly split: of the serving ones, Bradford voted to block, and Newcastle to permit; of the retired bishops, Lord Harries voted for permission, and Lord Eames, the former Archbishop of Armagh, voted against.

The case in favour as put by Lady Butler-Sloss, who had earlier that evening been accused of putting down homophobic amendments that would have protected Catholic adoption agencies against the law, an accusation she angrily disputed. In this context, she said:

"Same-sex couples can have strong and devoted relationships equal to, but different from, marriage and they may wish to have those relationships sanctified by a religious ceremony. If there are churches and synagogues prepared to do that, why should we stand in their way? They have rights to be loved and rights to have their ceremonies recognised."

Full Story from The Guardian
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Costa Rica: Update on Proposed Gay Unions Bill

In Costa Rica, the issue of same-sex relationships has been an active topic for the past several years, but little progress has been made in terms of establishing an official policy. In a country with Roman Catholicism as the official Constitutional religion and with a large majority conservative population, it has been a controversial topic with supporters and opponents on both sides of the issue.

After several attempts to bring the issue to the legislative level, the most recent proposal called Coexistence Societies, which can be read here in Spanish, does not seek to legalize same-sex marriage, but seeks to offer alternatives for these couples. The text is based on four basic points [es], which include hospital visitation rights, dividing of earned wealth, inheritance rights, and insurance options.

During the presidential campaign, Laura Chinchilla of the National Liberation Party (PLN), who was elected on February 7, 2010 promised to support same-sex unions as an alternative to marriage, as she expressed in this video [es]. However, shortly after she was elected and after meetings with Assembly deputies from the Christian-aligned parties and with Evangelical Christian leaders, she hardened her position towards the proposal of same-sex unions [es].

Full Story from Global Voices
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UK: Update on Gay Rights Legislation

THE LAW covering church employment will stay as it is, the Minister for Women and Equality, Harriet Harman, said on Tuesday. She was speaking after the defeat in the Lords of an amendment to the Equality Bill (News, 29 January), which sought to clarify the exemption for religious bodies from the existing legislation, to ensure that it applied only to church ministers.

In a statement, Ms Harman said: “Employment and non-discrimination law applies to religious organisations when they employ people in non-religious jobs in the same way that it does to all other employers. We have never insisted on non-discrimination legislation applying to religious jobs such as being a vicar, a bishop, an imam, or a rabbi.”

She continued: “We thought that it would be helpful for everyone involved to clarify the law, and that is what the amendment that we brought forward aimed to do. That amend ment was rejected. So the law remains as it was.”

Full Story from the Church Times
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France: British Civil Partnerships to be Recognized Under French Law

Graham Watson, the Lib Dem MEP who represents the UK’s South West and Gibraltar Euro-constituency, is celebrating a hard-won victory in the battle to secure equal rights for UK same-sex couples living in France.

Since August 2007, French couples in a Pacte Civil de Solidarité (PAC) have enjoyed the same rights in relation to tax and inheritance laws which had previously only applied to married couples. A year ago, the French National Assembly approved a measure to have foreign legal same-sex marriages/unions/partnerships recognised in France as PACs.

However, due to a legal anomaly, British civil partnerships were not recognised under French law, meaning that same-sex couples, who had registered a civil partnership in the UK, living in France were liable for a 60% inheritance tax and were treated like any other unmarried couple.

Full Story from UK Gay News
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UK: Straight Couple to Sue to Open Marriage to Gays, Civil Partnerships to Straights

A simultaneous legal challenge to the ban on same-sex marriage and opposite-sex civil partnerships is being prepared by gay human rights group OutRage!, this week.

It comes after heterosexual couple Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle filed an application for a civil partnership at Islington registry office last November. They were rejected because, under UK law, civil partnerships are open to only same-sex couples. This legal exclusion mirrors the way civil marriage is available solely to heterosexual partners. They say the decision is "discriminatory and perpetuates legal inequality."

Now, Outrage! has the support of legal expert, Professor Robert Wintemute, Professor of Human Rights Law at Kings College in London, who has agreed to take on the case.

Full Story from the Pink Paper
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Ireland: Official Says Public Places Must be Open to Gay Couples for Civil Partnerships

MINISTER OF State for the Office of Public Works Martin Mansergh warned that public facilities should not be closed to gay couples seeking to obtain a civil partnership. Some proposals, he said, had been made for what would, in effect, amount to discrimination, namely, that offices of the State should be allowed to withhold, or not participate in, civil partnership ceremonies. “My view is that if one takes up a public appointment, one must carry out the duties that the law prescribes, and those duties will change from time to time as the law changes,’’ said Dr Mansergh. “We should not give sanction, effectively, to homophobia for conscientious reasons.’’ Dr Mansergh was speaking during the resumed Second Stage debate on the Civil Partnership Bill 2009. Full Story from the Irish Times

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UK: Conservative Leader Promises Equality For Gay/Lesbian Couples in Tax System

Conservative leader David Cameron promised on Monday to offer tax breaks to same-sex couples engaging in civil partnerships, one of a raft of family-friendly measures he hopes will soften his party's image. Cameron, who will become prime minister if the Conservatives win a general election due by June, was seeking to bounce back after admitting last week he had "messed up" by appearing to go back on a pledge to give married couples tax breaks. "We will recognise marriage, whether between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman or a man and a man, in the tax system -- and yes, that is a commitment," he said during a speech at think-tank Demos. Full Story from Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE60A2QG20100111

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Caribbean: Bonaire, St. Eustatius & Saba Islands to Recognize Gay Marriage

Married and registered gay couples will obtain legal protection against discrimination by government agencies in the BES islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba after the islands have obtained their new status as public entities in the Dutch Kingdom. Articles will be included in the Civil Code for the BES islands stipulating that marriages or registered partnerships contracted in Holland will have the legal rights afforded them by Dutch Civil Law, State Secretary for Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ank Bijleveld-Schouten said in a letter to the Dutch Parliament’s Second Chamber in answer to Labour PvdA party questions. “Following Article 40 of the Statute, it is determined in Article 5 of the draft BES Public Entities Implementation Law that authenticated copies of contracts can be implemented anywhere in the Kingdom of Netherlands,” she stated. “This means that a marriage between persons of the same gender and a registered partnership should also be registered at the civil registries or census offices of the BES islands.” Full Story from The Daily Herald: http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/m189/gaym189.html

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UK: Civil Partnerships, Four Years Later

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

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UK: Civil Partnerships Reach Four Year Anniversary

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/

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Austria: Official Recognition of Gay/Lesbian Unions Begins January 1st

Landmark legislation on same-sex registered partnerships in Catholic Austria is an example that politicians in Eastern Europe's Catholic countries should now follow, gay rights groups in the region say. The legislation, which was passed by lawmakers last week, gives legal recognition to same sex couples' partnerships as well as many of the rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples such as access to pension on the death of a partner and alimony if a pair separates. Austrian gay rights groups hailed the legislation as the work of more than two decades of lobbying, while politicians who backed the law, due to come into effect Jan. 1 next year, described it as a "step forward" for the country. Campaigners in Catholic Eastern European states say the decision shows that politicians' use of religious arguments against same sex marriages is unfounded. Full Story from IPS News: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49724

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UK: Prime Minister Pushing for Recognition of British Civil Partnerships Across Europe

Gordon Brown is pushing for British civil partnerships to be recognised across the EU - including Eastern Europe, he has told Attitude magazine. The prime minister said Britain was negotiating deals with France and Spain but wanted to "go further than that". He told the gay lifestyle magazine it was important to show "respect for gay people was due" in "Eastern Europe as well as Western Europe".  But he predicted it would take "many years" for this to happen. Campaigners have been pushing for people who have undergone a civil partnership to be granted the same legal status and rights they enjoy in the UK in every other EU country. Full Story from B92: http://www.b92.net/eng/news/world-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=12&dd=17&nav_id=63833

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Ireland: Evangelical Group Supports Civil Unions Bill

The Evangelical Alliance Ireland has urged Christians to back the Civil Partnership Bill, which would introduce legal recognition of same-sex relationships in the Republic of Ireland. The Alliance’s stance on the issue is likely to win praise for its courage, as well as criticism from those who expect evangelicals to oppose gay people’s rights. “We suggest that evangelical Christians should support the basic thrust of the Bill,” said the Evangelical Alliance Ireland in a statement signed by its General Director, Sean Mullan. It goes on to say, “We may disagree on the detail of the legislation, but as followers of a just and compassionate God we can recognise the justice and fairness of providing some legal protection for the reality of both same-sex and opposite-sex cohabiting relationships”. Full Story from Spero News: http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=124&id=24032&t=Irish+Evangelicals+support+Gay+marriage

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Australia: Senator Compares Gay Marriage to Incest

FAMILY First senator Steve Fielding has compared same-sex marriages to incest, as a Senate inquiry yesterday recommended against allowing gay marriage in Australia. A day after the first legally recognised same-sex civil ceremony in Canberra, Senator Fielding spoke out against allowing gay couples to wed. ''A bloke cannot marry his brother; it is not right,'' he said. ''A woman cannot marry their sister; it is not right. A bloke cannot marry a bloke because it is not right, and a female cannot marry a female because it is not right. I don't support this.'' Labor senator Joe Ludwig reiterated the Rudd Government's stance that gay relationships should be recognised across the nation in civil partnership schemes and not with marriage. But Greens leader Bob Brown said the Government was made up of ''undemocratic wowsers'' and ''sad sacks'' who wanted to override the Australian Capital Territory laws allowing gay couples to hold a ceremony to create their legal relationship. Full Story from The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/national/fielding-likens-samesex-marriage-to-incest-20091126-juo3.html

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UK: Straight Couple Wants Civil Partnerships and Civil Marriage Open to All

In the latest challenge to what many see as unfair and restrictive marriage laws in Britain, a straight couple are attempting to register for a civil partnership. The couple, Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, say that it is unfair that different-sex couples may enter into a civil marriage but not a civil partnership, while same-sex couples may have a civil partnership but not a legal marriage. The news follows a series of other challenges to the UK's marriage laws. In July, British Quakers agreed to lobby for a change in the law to allow them to carry out same-sex weddings with the same legal recognition as different-sex weddings. Full Story from Ekklesia: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/10592

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UK: Speaker of the House of Commons: Gays Should Be Able to Marry in Westminster Palace

The Speaker of the House of Commons has said that allowing gay and lesbian couples to hold their civil partnership ceremonies in the Palace of Westminster is a matter of "equity and justice". In an exclusive interview with ePolitix.com John Bercow also praised the "passion and conviction" shown by members of the UK Youth Parliament during their debate in the Commons last month.  "So far as civil partnerships are concerned, I feel very strongly that this is a matter of equity and justice," Mr Speaker said. Full Story from ePolitix: http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/speaker-backs-civil-partnerships

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Guam: Nearly 200 Attend Rally in Support of Civil Partnerships Bill

When University of Guam student Rose Hermoso began to question why her rights as a heterosexual weren't shared with other members of the community, she organized a rally. Hermoso, together with three other University of Guam students, held a peaceful rally last night at the Plaza de España, to support civil rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, community of Guam, she said yesterday. "They're not asking for anything other than the same civil rights as the rest of us," Hermoso said. "We have to do this." Full Story from GuamPDN: http://www.guampdn.com/article/20091108/NEWS01/911080313/1002

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Guam "Gay Marriage" Bill Changed to "Civil Partnership"

Guam's Alternative Lifestyle Association has introduced an amended version of Bill 185 that they believe not only address the rights of same-sex couples but also takes various concerns into consideration. Guam Youth Congress Speaker Derick Hills worked with others to develop the changes that are based on Nevada's Domestic Partnership Act. Such modifications would changing the term "domestic partnership" to "civil partnership", defining marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman and stressing that no religious entity is required to solemnize a civil partnership are among the proposed amendments. "The amendments were mirrored after Nevada's domestic partnership bill," said Hills. Full Story from KUAM: http://www.kuam.com/Global/story.asp?S=11455131

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UK: Two Days Left to Sign petition Allowing Religious Buildings to Be Used for Civil Partnerships

There are only two days remaining to sign a petition to call for civil partnerships to be held in religious buildings. The Civil Partnerships Act, passed in 2004, currently forbids same-sex ceremonies in buildings designed for religious purposes and states that they can only take place in a register office or approved premises. However some faith groups have said they would like to perform civil partnership ceremonies on their premises but are unable to due to the law as it stands. Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/28/two-days-left-to-sign-petition-on-religious-civil-partnerships/

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Isle of Jersey Backs Civil Partnership Proposals

THE States have overwhelmingly backed proposals for civil partnerships between gay couples. Members voted 48 to one in favour of the proposal to extend marriage benefits to long-term gay couples who enter civil partnerships, with Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand the only objector. Formal proposals will come back to the States at some point next year after yesterday’s in-principle vote, but no date has been set for the introduction of the new arrangements. Full Story from the Jersey Evening Post: http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/10/21/strong-states-support-for-gay-civil-partnerships/

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