Heterosexual couple in UK demand civil partnership ceremony

A couple from London, UK, are aiming to be the first heterosexual couple in Britain to be joined in a civil partnership despite civil partnerships in the UK being specifically for same sex couples.

The couple, Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, both 25-years-old, wish to be the first couple in the UK to be joined in a civil partnership rather than a civil marriage. They share the belief that marriage is "apartheid" against homosexuals. Tom and Katherine, both civil servants from Holloway, north London, have been together for almost four years and want to join together in a ceremony that will see them have the same legal rights as husband and wife as they would have if they entered a marriage. However, they are not willing to enter into a marriage because it is an institution which is closed to homosexuals. The couple have already registered their intent to be joined in a civil partnership with Islington Council by using only first initials and surnames so that officials would not be aware that they weren't a same sex couple. They are to give notice of their intention to join in a civil partnership on November 24 at Islington Town Hall. The town hall is one of the most popular venues in Britain for gay marriages. Marriage excludes homosexuals which, for this couple, is unacceptable with Katherine Doyle calling it an "apartheid of sorts". Doyle also said, “Getting married would condone that and the whole idea of common law partnerships is an urban myth. They don't exist, so we are excluded from the legal benefits. For Tom and I a civil partnership is the obvious alternative but we can't have it.” Also speaking about this, Freeman said, "We are at the stage other couples might usually get married but we feel the only course of action is to campaign for desegregation." Speaking on behalf of Islington Council a spokesman said that the civil partnership ceremony between this couple would not take place. He said, "Like all councils we must follow the requirements of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which states that to qualify for a Civil Partnership, couples must be of the same sex. So our hands are tied." The Civil Partnership Act of 2004 states:

Eligibility

(1)

Two people are not eligible to register as civil partners of each other if—

(a)

they are not of the same sex,