Northern Ireland: Gay Bishop to Marry Partner Next Month

Outspoken bishop Pat Buckley is set to have a civil partnership in Larne - where he blesses gay and lesbian unions in his private independent chapel. The maverick cleric (57) will tie the knot on February 8.

While the intention was posted at Larne Borough Council offices, it is thought that a follow-up service will take place at the chapel in The Oratory - his residence which was owned by the Diocese of Down and Connor and which he refused to vacate when he was suspended as a priest.

The chapel, where the bishop celebrates Mass twice a week, has also been used as a wedding venue for the past 22 years. PR guru Max Clifford’s agency is now handling the publicity surrounding the nuptials. It is believed that Bishop Buckley and his partner have been together for almost three years and decided to enter a civil partnership several months ago.

Full Story from the Belfast Telegraph
Click here for gay marriage resources.
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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

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.