THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Sep 06 2008 09:35 | LAST UPDATED Sep 06 2008 09:35

British govt publicises gay 'marriage' rights

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM Sep 14 2005 15:43

Britain's government was on Wednesday launching a campaign to publicise its new "gay marriage" law, which from the end of this year will give same-sex couples many of the same rights as married people.

In what will be officially known as a civil partnership, gay and lesbian couples will from December 5 be able to inform registry offices, which administer civil marriages in Britain, of their intention to affirm their relationship under the law.

After a 15-day waiting period, the first civil partnerships will be sealed just before Christmas -- with pop singer Elton John having already expressed the wish to become one of the first "married" gay couples with partner David Furnish.

The government has deliberately avoided the word marriage to avoid upsetting religious sensibilities, although the partnerships give couples similar entitlements over tax, pensions and other benefits to those who are married.

Partners will even be able to dissolve the agreement in a form of divorce.

"It places homosexual couples on an equal footing with married couples, giving them the same rights," said a spokesperson for the Department of Trade and Industry, which is introducing the scheme as part of its wider responsibilities linked to equality legislation.

Later on Wednesday, Equality Minister Meg Munn was scheduled to visit Westminster Register Office in central London to launch a publicity campaign for the new scheme.

The civil partnerships have attracted a large number of enquiries from interested couples, although the Church of England has been less welcoming.

In July, bishops ruled that same-sex couples who unite via the civil partnerships will not be able to have their unions then blessed by Church of England clergy. -- Sapa-AFP