Progress on Implementation of Civil Partnerships on Religious Premises

Derek McAuley, Chief Officer of the General Assembly, has joined Gillian Ashmore and Rabbi Danny Rich, Chief Executives of The Quakers and Liberal Judaism respectively to seek a meeting with Lynne Featherstone, Minister for Equalities following the publication of the Coalition Government's Plan for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality. Working together they are keen to ensure the early implementation of the clause in the Equality Act 2010 which permits civil partnerships in religious premises as proposed by the General Assembly Annual Meetings in 2009.

The Plan includes a clear commitment to support same-sex couples and a wish to talk to those with an interest in how some religious organisations can allow same-sex couples the opportunity to register their relationship in a religious setting if they wish to do so. [This request featured as part of the lead item in The Guardian's online "Beliefs Roundup" on 17 June 2010 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2010/jun/17/belief-news-religion ).]

Derek said "I am pleased that the Prime Minister gave his personal support for implementation of this aspect of the Equality Act during his recent Downing Street Reception for members of the LGBT community. David Cameron announced that the coalition government would "make sure" religious organisations are permitted to hold civil partnerships."

The Prime Minister was reported by Pink News as saying "I am pleased to announce today that we are taking a further step, and I think a good step and a right step - and I say this as someone who believes in marriage, who believes in civil partnership, who believes in commitment - and that is to say that if religious organisations, if churches, if mosques, if temples want to have civil partnerships celebrated at religious places of worship, that should be able to happen and we should make that happen.

Of course those organisations that don't want that to happen have their rights too, but we shouldn't let some legalistic nonsense get in the way of people who want to celebrate civil partnerships in churches, and when there are churches that want that to happen, we should allow that to happen.

I think that will be an important step forward and we are going to make sure that that does happen."

Derek welcomed the inclusion of this proposal as a key part of the section in the Plan on supporting loving and stable families. He said "This reinforces the long-held view of the General Assembly in support of equality for lesbian and gay people and that love should be honoured not condemned".

Derek has also been working with Guy Bentham from Islington and Newington Green Unitarians on the "Cutting Edge Consortium" (http://sites.google.com/site/cuttingedgeconsortium1/home ) which promotes equality in the debate on faith, sexuality and gender identity to ensure other important clauses in the Equality Act are implemented and that forthcoming legislation do not lead to a watering down of equality requirements, particularly in education reform.

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