Civil unions all 'round (the Dyson sphere?)

[alaimacerc]

The BBC had the couple who're the subject of this story on. They're an opposite-sex couple filing for a "civil partnership" at a UK registry office (as distinct from a marriage). Good on 'em! Though ultimately it's a very salami-slicing approach to gradualist creeping towards some sort of sensible dispensation of actual equity, both between

Comments

[mylescorcoran]

Good for them! I hope they get what they're looking for, and in so doing bring all of us closer to a fair society.

[marzut]

I wonder why there is a ban on that. I don't see why you can't have civil marriage for all, so silly not to, but at least for that they exist some arguments which some feel very strongly about. What are the reasons for a hetro couple being denied a civil partnership? Who gets offended by that?
Oh, and nothing to do with the above, but they've introduced the vanishing bicycle lanes to lancaster.

[alaimacerc]

I'm not sure it's "banned" as such, as "not provided for by law". If you're prepared to wear that as a feasible distinction. As "civil partnerships" are essentially just a second-class version of "civil marriage", with tweaked terminology (at least as they're perceived, I couldn't quote you chapter and verse on the details), it's more-or-less redundant to have both available to the same class of people. Some people would probably oppose it as "slightly more of the thin end of the wedge, being hammered in slightly further". (Which is pretty much the reason the subversive liberal humanist likes of me -- not to mentioned Peter Tatchell -- are supporting it, for that matter.)

[marzut]

And yup, two does seem mad. The only thing I can think they might be doing (over in Ireland) is waiting a few more years before they have a referendum to ensure it goes through as at the moment I think it might not pass by a small margin.

[alaimacerc]

According to Wonkypedia, in the UK the two are essentially equivalent, but "In order to counter claims that this is instituting same-sex marriage, government spokespersons emphasised that civil partnership is quite separate from marriage."