Comments on: Lesbian couple begin battle for marriage recognition

By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:42:00 +0000

Andy, thank you for clarifying that.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:43:00 +0000

Rob, the fact is that Martina is in a PACS relationship with a man, so that is NOT recognised in the UK. The British government made it very clear when certain fossils in the tory party and church tried to devalue the UK's civil partnership act by suggesting it include heterosexuals who didn't want to marry, and therefore be a kind of "marriage-lite" that CIVIL partnerships were for gays/lesbains only. And that they were to be the gay equivalent of marriage with EXACTLY the same rights and responsibilities. As Pol pointed out, if Mary wants her rights recognised in the uk all she has to do is get married…easy. I know some people on the forum have been giving you a hard time and i don't mean to be one of them but it really is, as someone else said simple. Civil Partnerships in the UK and Marriage are equal but different, just like gays and straights. The PACS in France and the proposed civil unions in Ireland fall far short of that. As do all the civil unions type laws i've heard of in the US. As i've said before I am very happily civil-partnered, have no need or desire for gay marriage in this country now cos we have something just as good.

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By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:19:00 +0000

Andy, Martina and any others, I've found information regarding UK civil partnership equivalents that are allegedly recognised in the UK. France apparently is one of them. Please refer to the link below for further clarification.

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By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:14:00 +0000

Pol, you can also refer to my response to Martina regarding the recognition of civil partnerships performed elsewhere.

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By: Robert, ex-pat Brit

Robert, ex-pat Brit — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:11:00 +0000

Martina, I was under the impression that UK civil partnership laws apply to foreign nationals whose country also has civil partnerships/unions or something similar in place? I know for a fact that France has the PACS law, civil unions, and as such, the UK should have reciprocal laws recognising your status. Further, if British same-sex couples legally marry in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Canada or South Africa, the UK sadly does NOT recognise them as marriages but downgrades them to civil partnerships. Your French partnershp should be recognised in the UK on that basis. If it doesn't, then it proves what I've been saying all along, that civil partnerships are not marriage and they're not equal. But I hope I'm wrong.

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By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:25:00 +0000

martina, i'm sorry to hear about your situation but you are NOT in a civil partnership…france doesn't have them..it has PACTS (PACS?) which apply to 2 heterosexuals/2 homosexuals, brothers/sisters granparents/granchildren, frankly any 2 people who wish to be joind for tax/inheritence/administrative reasons..they are extremely wide interms of WHO can qualify for them and extremely LIMITED in terms of the benefits they offer. They are not remotely similar to uk civil partnerships which are designed exclusively for lesbians and gay men. heterosexuyals who want the same rights and obligations as homosexuals who are in a civil partnership have the option of something called "marriage" i'm pretty sure that's available to heterosexuals in france aswell!

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By: Pól

Pól — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:24:00 +0000

Martina, there is a world of difference between your problems and those of gay couples. I don't know why you civil partnered instead of marrying, and it is certainly your choice which one you opt for, but the fact remains that you and your partner could hop on the Eurostar, sign a few documents, and return as a fully-recognised ex-pat married couple.That option isn't available to gay people – often even when they're actually already married.There are arguments to be made for harmonising the way EU member-states recognise each other's marriage and partnership laws, but Europe's partnered and married gay couples face far bigger problems than paperwork!

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By: Martina

Martina — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:57:00 +0000

"The homophobia of the ban on same-sex marriage is compounded by the heterophobia of the ban on opposite-sex civil partnerships. Two wrongs don't make a right.I have an opposite-sex French Civil Partnership, which is not recognised in the UK. Let's talk about harmonisation of EU laws, balh blah… I am today considered as a single (!!!) even if I AM IN A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP… It is so unfair…

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By: Elysia Dunigan

Elysia Dunigan — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 00:37:00 +0000

I may not be gay but I find it extremely heart wrenching that people would beleive that they have the right to distinguish between those who are alowed to marry and who isn't. I have several friends that are going through similar problems here in the US and I deeply sympathize with those going through these battles for justice. Is there anything I could do to help the situtation????

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