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I am sure that many of you reading this are planning your civil partnership ceremonies at the moment. From 21 December, you’ll be able to get ‘married’ at a registry office or any other location that has a licence for civil services. So, if you feel like getting hitched on top of Ben Nevis or in Brighton Pavilion, you probably can.
While everyone at our company has been campaigning enthusiastically for civil partnership for many years, I must admit that even five years ago, if someone had told me in 1995 that I’d be bulk-buying toasters to hand out to newly wed gay friends 10 years later, I’d have thought them more than a tad optimistic. But, thanks to this government (with great support from the Liberal Democrats, especially in the House of Lords) civil partnership is now a reality.
There will be people who won’t register their partnerships because they don’t approve of marriage and don’t want to ape heterosexual institutions and I have every respect for their point of view. But the important thing is that we now have a choice – we can choose to register or not. Previously, there was no way for us to demonstrate our commitment to our relationships and to demand recognition and respect from society. After all, it’s less than 20 years since the late and unlamented Section 28 talked about our ‘pretend’ family relationships.
Over the years, in the course of my work as a financial adviser, I’ve met a lot of gay and lesbian couples who were in genuine, loving, committed relationships – families, in other words. They came to me and my colleagues because they wanted to discuss their finances and plans for the future with someone who understood and respected their lives and who could give expert advice on areas where gay people routinely suffered discrimination – life and health insurance, capital gains and inheritance tax, pensions and so on.
Thankfully, much of the discrimination will not apply to registered civil partners – the changes in the tax laws will be particularly welcome to many. There will also be other benefits – you will be accepted as your partner’s next of kin and parents will no longer be able to keep you from your partner’s bedside in hospital or, if the worst happens, take over the funeral arrangements and exclude you. You will also have housing rights if you are in rented property.
Discussing civil partnership with my clients recently, I’ve found some of them a bit low-key on the subject – almost as if they can’t quite believe it’s happening or that somehow it’ll all be snatched away at the last moment. All I can say is, relax, it really is going to happen next month – we aren’t in Kansas any more, Tonto.
So, book the registry office and the reception. Order the cake and the rings. Organise your vows. Sort out the honeymoon. Make sure you’ve got enough champagne – especially if you’re inviting me! Oh, and do you need a toaster?
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