LGBT Labour - The Labour Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender RightsLord Alli wins right to have civil partnerships in church or religious building

Lord Alli wins right to have civil partnerships in church or religious building

3rd March 2010

Last night, the House of Lords has approved an amendment to the Equality Bill giving gay couples the right to have civil partnerships in church or religious building.

The measure, proposed by LGBT Labour patron Lord Waheed Alli, was passed 95 votes to 21, a majority of 74.

It gives religious the option of hosting civil partnership ceremonies if they wish and is not compulsory. Under current law, civil partnerships may not contain any religious references. The change means they can be held in churches and other religious buildings, and may contain religious language.

Faiths such as Liberal Judaism, the Quakers and the Unitarians have all expressed their wishes to hold civil partnership ceremonies.

Introducing the amendment last night, Lord Alli said: “Many gay and lesbian couples want to share their civil partnerships with the congregations with whom they worship, and a number of religious organisations want to allow gay and lesbian couples to do exactly that.

“I believe that people want religion in their lives and many gay and lesbian couples are no different. They want their civil partnership to be held in a place where they can celebrate it with the people with whom they worship.

“It is a simple act of religious freedom to allow the Quakers, the liberal Jews, the Unitarian Church and others to practise their religion in a way that meets their religious needs.”

Late last month, faith leaders including the Bishop of Salisbury, the Dean of Southwark and five retired bishops wrote to the Times to argue that it was inconsistent and discriminatory to ban gay couples having their ceremonies in churches willing to accommodate them.

LGBT Labour’s co-chair Katie Hanson, who backed the amendment on behalf of the group earlier this week, said: “We are proud that Labour’s Lord Alli has been pushing for this change in the law, and this vote is a great result.”

Those who voted against the measure last night included the Bishop of Bradford David James and former Conservative cabinet ministers Lord Tebbit and Lord Waddington.