Quakers to decide today on holding civil partnership ceremonies

PinkNews logo on a pink background surrounded by illustrated line drawings of a rainbow, pride flag, unicorn and more.

The annual meeting of Quakers will decide today whether to ask the government for legal authority to register civil partnerships in the same way as marriages.

As PinkNews.co.uk reported earlier this month, they will also consider whether to revise Quaker Faith and Practice, the book of Christian discipline of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain, to include equal treatment of marriage and other committed partnerships.

First published in 1738, the book is revised each generation.

Quakers have acknowledged same-sex partnerships since the 1960s.

The event is being held in York this week, with 1,600 Quakers in attendance. They will hear personal testimonies from gay Quakers about their experiences.

Michael Hutchinson, for Quakers in Britain, said: “We recognise that many homosexual people play a full part in the life of the Society of Friends. Many of our meetings have told us that there are homosexual couples who consider themselves to be married and believe this is as much a testimony of divine grace as a heterosexual marriage. They miss the public recognition of this in a religious ceremony.

“We hope our discussions this week will help us recognise, in love, the Friend whose experience is not our own, and will lead us forward in exploring what true equality means.”

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments