UK: Church of England Tries to Quell Furor Over Special Access With Offer of Gay Church Weddings

What happens when Church of England bishops hold unelected seats in the House of Lords? Not surprisingly, they get criticized when they are seen to be protecting the interests of the Church over the interests of the country. This is what has happened during the ongoing debate over the Equality Bill. The Equality Bill is intended "to harmonise discrimination law, and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality."

Recently in the Equality Bill debates, the bishops fought for and won their special right to retain the right to legally discriminate against gay employees. This has won their unelected presence in the House of Lords a fresh round of criticism, with words like "privileged" and "unaccountable" being frequently used.

Happily, several senior bishops are making an effort at compromise (and perhaps distract from the question of the wisdom of their unelected presence in the House of Lords).

Full Story from Pam's House Blend
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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: Pope Attacks Equality Bill

Pope Benedict XVI says he'll visit England this year, even though he doesn't approve of the British government's plans to introduce stronger equality laws for gays and lesbians.

"Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," the Pope wrote to the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. "Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs."

"In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed," he added.

Full Story from GayNZ.com
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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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UK: Religious Groups Upset that Equality Legislation May Change Exempted Status

The government is facing allegations of duplicity over changes to the equality bill after a leaked document showed conflicting statements about the position of churches and other religious organisations.

Churches say the government has assured them the equality bill will preserve their "special status", which allows them to turn down candidates for jobs as ministers or priests if they are actively homosexual, transsexual or, in the Catholic church, if they are women.

Statements in parliament have also presented the government's position as preserving the existing law for religious organisations. "[The equality bill] will not change the existing legal position regarding churches and employment," the leader of the House of Lords, Lady Royall, told peers recently.

But the Guardian has learned the government told the European commission it would toughen the law on religious organisations, making it harder for them to avoid equal treatment laws. A "reasoned opinion", kept secret by the government, threatened the UK with legal action unless the grounds on which religious groups could discriminate were narrowed.

Full Story from The Guardian
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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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UK: Registrar Loses Appeal in Gay Marriage Case

A Christian registrar who was threatened with the sack after refusing to carry out gay weddings "as a matter of religious conscience" has lost an appeal against discrimination. Lillian Ladele, who became a registrar in 2002, claims she was bullied and harassed by Islington council in north London as a result of her stance. She was backed by Christian groups but opposed by gay rights campaigners. In July last year, an employment tribunal found that the council had unlawfully discriminated against her, but the ruling was overturned by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) which said there was no basis for concluding that any discrimination had been established. Full Story from Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5BE20420091215

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UK: Straight Couple Applies for Civil Partnership, is Rejected

A straight couple who tried to apply for a civil partnership this morning have said they are willing to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, both 25, arrived at Islington Town Hall in London this morning to register their intention to have a civil partnership. As they had anticipated, they were given a letter of refusal. Head of democratic services John Lynch wrote: "I do not wish to comment on your views on marriage but would point out that part one of the Civil Partnerships Act 2004 states that a civil partnership is a relationship between two people of the same sex and therefore we would not be able to take notice of your proposed civil partnership." Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/24/straight-couples-civil-partnership-application-rejected/

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

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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 Christian Registrar Who Refused to Conduct Gay Partnerships Goes to Court of Appeal

A Christian registrar disciplined by her north London council after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnerships took her discrimination claim to the Court of Appeal. Lillian Ladele says she cannot carry out same-sex ceremonies "as a matter of religious conscience". An employment tribunal found that Islington Council unlawfully discriminated against her but this was overturned by an employment appeal tribunal. James Dingemans QC, representing her, told a panel of three appeal judges that Ms Ladele had never wanted to undermine the human rights or respect due to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender communities. Full Story from The Press Association: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iuYL459Gnmg08mxy2KTbH5IuVOtw

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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/

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

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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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UK Prime Minister: Open Westminster to Gay Weddings

Parliament should open its doors to gay weddings, Gordon Brown will say today. The Prime Minister will insist that it is unfair only heterosexual couples can marry inside the Palace of Westminster. Mr Brown will be speaking at a Parliamentary inquiry into how to increase the representation of gay people, ethnic minorities, women and the disabled at Westminster. Full Story from Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221582/Gordon-Brown-backs-gay-weddings-Westminster.html

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in England.

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