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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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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UK: Likely Next Prime Minister Supports Gay Rights

There was a time when Britain’s conservative party was much like it’s American counterpart: harshly denunciatory and punitive toward gays, and prone to justifying its stance on dubious notions such as the claim that homosexuality is a "lifestyle choice" that might lead to gays trying to "corrupt children." Indeed, for a quarter-century, a British law--Section 28--made it a criminal offense for schools to "promote" homosexuality or gay and lesbian families--what the law slammed as "pretend families."

But David Cameron, the Tory politician who is viewed by many as the likely next Prime Minister of Britain, has made it his mission to reach out to gay and lesbian voters, reckoning that plenty of gays share his party’s conservative views--at least, the ones that are not flagrantly anti-gay.

But how sincere is Cameron about wanting what his U.S. counterparts would call a "big tent" that includes GLBT constituents? In an interview published in gay magazine Attitude, journalist Johann Hari asked the question, recalling that until its repeal a decade ago, Cameron was an ardent champion of Section 28. Indeed, in the interview with Cameron, which Hari posted at his own site, the journalist put the question directly to Cameron, who told Hari, "I think now looking back you can see the mistake of Section 28," a measure that Cameron called "an insult" and "finger-pointing." Added Cameron, "There’s only one thing worse than making a mistake and that’s not putting your hands up and admitting it."

Full Story from Edge Boston
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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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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: Gay Muslims Fleeing Arranged Marriages, Family Violence

A British charity has witnessed a huge surge in gay Muslims fleeing arranged marriages, homophobia and family violence. The Albert Kennedy Trust, an organisation which houses homeless gay teens, has seen an increase in the number of Muslims coming to them for help over the past six months. "They face threats of physical violence, actual violence and restriction of liberties," said Trust support worker Annie Southerst, speaking to the BBC. "We've had people chased out of the house with knives and we have had issues around young people who had exorcisms planned to get rid of the gay demons, I suppose. "They come to us because they're homeless, or in danger of being homeless imminently. We sort out emergency accommodation for them. Full Story from the Pink Paper: http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=2234

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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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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: 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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Scotland: Gay Marriage A Long Way Off, Equality Leader Says

The leader of the Scottish Government’s Equality Unit has said there is no end in sight for the equal marriage debate.  Hilary Third told delegates at the opening of the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation General Assembly in Edinburgh that while Scotland had made “significant progress” since decriminalisation, there was still a long way to go. And she added that the constitutional arrangement of Scotland in the UK might get in the way of any debate on equal marriage. Hosted by LGBT Youth Scotland and supported by the Scottish Government, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and Edinburgh City Council, delegates of the biggest stand alone IGLYO event in 25 years will spend two days discussing the most pressing issues facing gay and lesbian young people. Full Story from the Pink Paper: http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=2133

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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/

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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 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

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Activist Calls on Tory Leader to take Concrete Steps on Gay Rights in UK

As the Conservative Party Conference gets underway in Manchester, party leader David Cameron has been called on to prove his commitment to gay rights. In the last few years, Cameron has stepped up efforts to appeal to the gay community and it was claimed in May that outreach to gay groups was one of his top five priorities. In February this year, he claimed his support for civil partnerships is proof the party backs gay rights. However, gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has said that Cameron and his party are "all talk and no action" on gay rights. Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/05/david-cameron-challenged-to-commit-to-gay-rights/

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