The government have today announced that in five weeks’ time – on December 5th – the law will change to permit civil partnership ceremonies to be conducted at religious premises in England and Wales.
As a devolved matter, the Scottish Parliament is separately looking at its own changes to partnership law.
The change taking place next month will be a matter of permission, not compulsion – faith groups who are uncomfortable with celebrating same-sex couples within their understanding of their beliefs will not be compelled to allow civil partnerships to be conducted in their temples, churches and so forth.
Government Minister for LGBT issues, Lynne Featherstone, said: “The government is advancing equality for LGB people and ensuring freedom of religion for people of all faiths. No religious group will be forced to host a civil partnership registration, but for those who wish to do so this is an important step forward.”
The Church of England has indicated it will not be conducting civil partnership ceremonies in its churches, but senior figures in several groups including the Unitarians, Quakers and Liberal Judaism have been pressing for this change to allow them to do so.
However, BCN magazine editor Jen Yockney says there is still further to go: “The move will affect many bi people in same-sex relationships, whether with other bis or with gay or lesbian people, but we still have the separation of marriage for some relationships and civil partnerships for others.
“As such it’s a welcome improvement on the civil partnerships law, but we still have some way to go to see all our relationships treated as equal.”
