Alice Arnold: I will marry Clare Balding rather than ‘marrying’ her only in inverted commas
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I can so relate to that. I would always make a front and say I was married, often to get quizzical looks back – “How can you be married, you’re gay” – so one had to do the naff double-fingers in the air inverted comma ‘sorry, not married, just “married”.’
The simple fact one had to go through this farcical process was enough for anybody with half a brain to see that civil partnerships and marriages might be virtually identical on paper, but were light years apart when it came to the real world. it feels like you are walking about with one of those fake $20 Rolexes you can pick up in Thailand. They might at a passing glimpse appear identical to the real thing, but within weeks the ‘gold’ is flaking off and the bloody thing has lost 45 minutes.
All I ask now is that Civil Partnerships be ceremoniously torched by a 21 flame-thrower salute, never to be seen again.
Clare’s putting on the beef.
Good for her
Good luck to Clare and Alice! And to all other couples. Why shouldn’t we get married if we want to. I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment, but could have legally become the civil partner of the last guy I was with. I heard a good comment: “If you don’t like civil partnerships/gay marriage, then don’t marry someone the same sex as yourself”. If gay people want to marry that is up to them. It doesn’t affect straight people who have been ‘open’ or ‘flaunting it’ for centuries. I don’t agree with some internet comments saying gay people are doing it to draw attention to themselves. Um no! They are doing it to show love for a partner and to get the rights and benefits, responsibilities and legal protections, that come with a legally recognised marriage/union. At the moment in the USA where many hospitals serving people on Welfare/uninsured people, are religious and anti-gay, there is apparently a major problem of letting gay partners in to see a person, also the right to make decisions.
I echo all her words. She has encapsulated my own feelings perfectly.