Currently in the UK, same-sex couples can enter into civil partnerships but not get married. This is set to change with government proposals to introduce equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples. Today is the last day for consultation on this legislation. If you haven’t responded to the consultation yet, you have until midnight to have your say!
The key proposals of the consultation are:
- to enable same-sex couples to have a civil marriage i.e. only civil ceremonies in a register office or approved premises (like a hotel);
- to make no changes to religious marriages. This will continue to only be legally possible between a man and a woman;
- to retain civil partnerships for same-sex couples and allow couples already in a civil partnership to convert this into a marriage;
- civil partnership registrations on religious premises will continue as is currently possible i.e. on a voluntary basis for faith groups and with no religious content;
- individuals will, for the first time, be able legally to change their gender without having to end their marriage.
The full details of the consultation can be found on the Home Office website. To respond to the consultation, fill out the online survey.
