Straight British couple want "gay" civil partnership

[RadicalTexan]

I can't believe no one seems to have posted this.

Straight British Couple Want 'Gay' Partnership

LONDON — Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle are in love and want to tie the knot – but they don't want to get married.

The 26-year-old Londoners think they should be allowed to have a civil partnership, a form of legal union available in Britain only to same-sex couples.

On Tuesday, after having their application to form a civil partnership rejected by officials at their local town hall in Islington, north London, they said they will go to court to win the right. They are being backed by gay rights activists, who hope a ruling that allows straight couples the right to a civil partnership would mean, in turn, that gay couples have the right to wed.

"The titles of husband and wife and all the things that pop into people's heads when you say you're getting married don't appeal to us," said Doyle, a student. "In our day-to-day life we feel like civil partners – we don't feel like husband and wife, and we want the government to recognize that."

(snip)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/09/straight-british-couple-w_n_781208.html

via AP

Also, from the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/nov/08/heterosexuals-attempt-civil-partnership


My personal thoughts on this are as follows.

I would prefer we do away with legal marriage completely and disestablish all state-granted benefits and privileges attached to it, but, as long as we are stuck with it, I support the right of LGBT people to have the same rights as heterosexuals. I am heartened by the gay marriage movement not just because it will result in millions of gay people being able to inherit homes tax-free, receive their partner's Social Security benefits, and make medical decisions, but also because it will inevitably lead to the weakening of "traditional" marriage and the nuclear family as the only "normal" way to be a family. There are probably a lot of homosexual couples who do feel like wife and wife, and they deserve equal respect - that's why extending marriage rights is so important. It is socially important at this juncture in our history. But I think there are probably a lot of gay folks (most of my gay friends included) and a few straight folks like me who've rejected the Fairytale Romance and Wedding™ lifescript, and all of us would like another option. I applaud this couple.

Personally, I support civil unions available for everyone (gay, straight, bi, poly, asexual, siblings, cousins, friends - everyone), and for weddings and "marriage" to be purely a personal and/or religious affair. I think two old sisters, for instance, who live together ought to have the same legal rights as a married couple. People ought to be able to specify their next-of-kin in a way similar to marriage/civil partnership. This would also reduce the religious and social status of marriage in general, which I would welcome (I know this is controversial, flame away). If people want and value a Christian or Jewish or Muslim or pagan or secular marriage, and want a public ceremony, a wedding, whatever, more power to them. But I think this type of relationship and family form is unfairly privileged in our society.


http://equallove.org.uk/

[SteppingRazor]

1. Civil unions for all is my position too.

Until a few years ago, I actually bought into the whole marriage for straights, civil unions for gays thing. Except I found that there was no way to justify my position without assuming in one way or another that gay love is somehow lesser than straight love. Now, as far as I'm concerned, the state should recognize civil unions for everyone, and the rite of marriage should be relegated completely to religious institutions, which would be free to define it however they see fit.

[RadicalTexan]

2. We are on the same page, then

After this, I would like to see civil partnerships expanded to non-sexual relationships for next-of-kin legal purposes (tax-free home inheritance, medical decision-making, etc.).

[cynatnite]

3. Marriage, civil unions, or just plain living together...for all who wants it. n/t