‘Allow civil partnerships in churches’ – Stonewall

gay marriage November 19th, 2009

Gay rights campaign group Stonewall has revealed plans to lobby the Government to allow civil partnerships to take place in religious buildings.

Current law prohibits same-sex couples from having civil partnerships in churches or other religious buildings.

Stonewall hopes to add the amendment to the Equality Bill when the bill is moved before the House of Lords in the next four to six weeks.

Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill said that the amendment would not force religious leaders to conduct civil partnerships, although he was in favour of full equality. “Right now, faiths shouldn’t be forced to hold civil partnerships, although in ten or 20 years, that may change,” Summerskill told Pink News.

“I think that one of the reasons the prohibition was introduced was a slightly patronising view that gay people aren’t religious,” added Summerskill.

“But our view is that gays and lesbians are just like everyone else and we can’t see a reason why you shouldn’t allow them to have their civil partnerships in churches.”

Stonewall’s amendment to the Equality Bill is supported by the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) and the Metropolitan Community Church.

Posted in: Campaigns & Politics |

 comments

  • Why don’t they go for every ones right to regular marriage? This campaign is a way of accepting that we are not equal and don’t deserve the same rights as straight folks.

    I also don’t get how they can use the name Stonewall and at the same time exclude trans people. It was after all trans folks and butch lesbians who started it all way back when.

    Caisa ∼ November 19th, 2009 7:48 am

  • precisely

    Bex ∼ November 19th, 2009 11:21 am

  • I agree that Stonewall should be campaigning for marriage rather than the current ’seperate but equal’ policy.

    I’m not so sure about the issue regarding the issue about including trans people in their campaigning work. They seem to be in a no win situation - criticised if they don’t include trans issues but then would probably criticised if they do because it could be detrimental to Press For Change. If a big organisation like Stonewall took on this agenda too then it might potentially weaken the voice of PFC.

    Sibr ∼ November 19th, 2009 7:04 pm
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