Royal Assent has been given to the island’s new Civil Partnership Act.

From 6 April civil partners will have the same rights as married couples in relation to tax allowances, pensions and inheritances. Allan Bell, MHK, Minister for Economic Development who tabled the initial bill, explained, “It has been an extremely difficult time for gay people wishing to have open, loving caring relationships.” He added, “But gay rights have changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years on the island. It is a very different place now, it is more tolerant, understanding and inclusive.”

The Isle of Man has its own parliament and laws, some of which are vastly different to the rest of the UK. For instance, homosexuality was illegal until 1992 and the death penalty was only abolished in 1993. Abortion laws are also much stricter on the island.

Gay campaigners have welcomed the news. The secretary of gay Humanist charity, George Broadhead, said, “As a Manxman myself who was born on the Isle of Man in 1933 and realised I was gay at school in the 1940s, I know only too well what a frightful homophobic place it was – much of it stemming, as elsewhere, from religious bigotry. Activists on the island itself and the rest of the UK launched a campaign to get the law changed and I am proud to have played a part in this.” Broadhead entered into a civil partnership in the UK in 2006 and is happy that his fellow islanders now have the right to do it at home.

However, the bill has also sparked fierce criticism. Methodist preacher, Peter Murcott, said, “It will have a fundamental change in due course on how the next generation is brought up to conceive family life and ultimately it is going to introduce an anti-Christian attitude and it will be contrary to the beliefs of many other religions as well.”

The cost of registering a civil partnership will be in line with those currently applied to marriage, birth and death registrations.

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