Local News Archive

Civil Partnerships to be held in religious venues following local campaign

Liberal Democrats have welcomed last night's vote by the House of Lords to amend and improve the law on Civil Partnerships. The change means that Civil Partnership ceremonies will be able to be held in willing religious venues, and may include religious language.

Liberal Democrat camaigners in Brighton Pavilion were the first to raise this issues, last year launching a highly popular petition on the 10 Downing Street Website calling for the change.

Brighton and Hove Lib Dem Councillor Paul Elgood said: "I am really pleased that this campaign has achieved its goals and that willing religious venues can now be used as a place for civil partnerships. This campaign was first taken up by Lib Dem campaigners in Brighton Pavilion and I congratulate them on this.

"While not all interpretations of all religions recognise same-sex couples on a similar basis to mixed-sex couples, some such as Quakers, Unitarians and liberal Judaism do and have indicated they would welcome being able to conduct civil partnership ceremonies within the faith. Until now the law has prevented that from happening in churches, synagogues and other such religious venues.

"It's excellent news that - assuming the House of Commons approves the change - gay and bisexual people of faith will have the option for a civil partnership ceremony that reflects their religious beliefs.

"Of course, we don't feel this amendment goes far enough. Until we have the Marriage Without Borders called for by Nick Clegg, we cannot claim that same-sex couples are truly equal."

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