DIVIDED: Civil Partnership Equality

In February 2017 a heterosexual couple lost their fight against the ban on opposite-sex couples entering into civil partnerships.

It is known that all three court of appeal judges agreed the ban was a violation of the Human Rights Act Article 14 but nonetheless made the decision to give the government more time to review the law.

Whilst the ruling was a setback for the case, launched in 2014 by London couple Rebecca Steinfield and Charles Keidan, the Equal Civil Partnerships Campaign (ECPC) believed the movement to be continually gaining more support.

Under UK law all couples are able to get married regardless of gender or sexual orientation, however only same-sex couples are able to form civil partnerships. The ECPC is calling on the government to extend the law on civil partnerships to allow different sex couples the same rights.

'only same-sex couples are able to form civil partnerships'

Currently only ten countries allow opposite sex couples to enter civil partnerships. They include: France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, New Zealand, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia, and South Africa.

The only place within the British Isles to offer civil partnerships to all is the Isle of Man.

According to a survey by Populus, of 2000 participants, 57% of people in the UK think that civil partnerships should be available to all. 20% believe civil partnerships should be scrapped all together, which seems a satisfyingly low statistic for the campaign who believe in giving the choice between marriage and civil partnership to all couples.

'57% of people in the UK think that civil partnerships should be available to all'

According to parliamentary documents (2017) on the matter, the UK Government believes that “it has not been made clear what detriment opposite sex couples suffer by not having access to civil partnerships.” However, the ECPC point out that “it’s a core principle of democracy that all people should be equal before the law.” In utmost disagreement with the government’s viewpoint, they say that the ban must be lifted because the ban contravenes the UK’s main equality and human rights law.

However, the ECPC’s biggest point to prove is what they see as societal demand for a modern alternative to family life. They state that some “choose not to marry because they object to the history and trappings of the institution.” The ECPC claims that a more modern form of legal union would help those who want to “avoid the social expectations and pressures” of marriage.

The government has reacted to this by highlighting the fact that not all marriages have to be a “religious ceremony.”

'some “choose not to marry because they object to the history and trappings of the institution.”'

The coalition government in 2014, before the ECPC was founded, published a Civil Partnership Review (England and Wales). They “felt it was too soon to change civil partnership, before the impact of extending marriage to same-sex couples could be assessed.”

It has been said many times in parliamentary documents on the issue that same-sex marriage was “not intended or designed as an alternative to marriage…this consultation was not aimed at being a wider process of reform of marriage.”

If we look at the figures, following the introduction of same-sex marriage in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014, the number of civil partnerships fell.

In December 2006, the end of first full year of civil partnerships, 16,106 formations happened between same-sex couples. This was a huge rise from the beginning of 2006, which is thought to be because of the pent up demand for a form of legal same-sex union.

They then began to fall and remained relatively stable until the introduction of same-sex marriage.

'same-sex marriage was “not intended or designed as an alternative to marriage...'

So, what can we gather from this?

Well, the government still stands by their statements that it is too soon to change civil partnership and that it risks been seen as an “alternative to marriage”. The figures do look to support this at first glance. There is a significant drop in the amount of civil partnership formations as marriage figures go up.

The ECPC stand by their conviction that the limiting of civil partnerships to same-sex couples “risks reinforcing the idea that marriage is first and foremost a heterosexual institution.” Opposite sex couples are being discriminated against and the drop in civil partnership formations shows that.

'For better or for worse' spoke to Janey from Twitter who has been in a civil partnership for 10 years. She had a whole new perspective on civil partnership and belived it to be "outdated." "If we have marriage, why do we need civil partnership," she suggested.

John, a gay man from England living in Paris, said this:

JOHN_AUDIO_PLAY

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Plus, want to know more about what people think of traditional marriage and gender roles? Read more here...