Call for law on civil partnerships
Saturday 17th January 2009, 9:58AM GMT.
JERSEY’S Community Relations Trust has written to all States Members urging them to back legislation allowing same-sex marriages.
The move coincides with the release of the findings of a report on civil partnerships commissioned by the trust, a government-funded quango whose remit is to eradicate discrimination on any grounds.
‘The trust believes that the current situation whereby only heterosexual couples have the ability to benefit from the numerous legal rights that are associated with marriage is unduly discriminatory,’ the report concluded. ‘The trust believes that gay and lesbian couples should be able to achieve the same legal rights as married couples whether by way of civil partnership or some other route.’
Dr Elena Moran, the chairman of the trust, said: ‘The trust believes that the proposed legislation on civil partnerships should be progressed as soon as possible to ensure that same-sex couples can enjoy the same benefits and advantages enjoyed by married couples.’
• Dr Moran (pictured) is the subject of the Saturday Interview in today’s Jersey Evening Post
Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.
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The priorities are clear. Jersey has no statutory maternity leave and this seems to be more important…..
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Its not difficult just find a country where civil partnership works and copy and paste.
We will get the religious minority telling us how it is against nature etc.
Can we say we evolved ?
Or will they let let Christians force their beliefs on atheists and say it for their good.
Lets hope love wins the day.
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Indeed.
Homosexual couples are treated the same in most other ways – they are obliged to pay the same taxes, they are expected to comply with all the same laws, why should they not be allowed the same flexibility that the law offers to heterosexual couples when it comes to partnering-up ??
FORTUNATELY the law is not run by religion, and so the law ought to be able to function free from much of the moral rhetoric that religion pushes onto people en masse.
I really don’t think, from my own perosnal experience, that most homosexual couples care what it’s called, so if “gay marriage” offends the stuffy moral majority, then “civil partnership” or “civil union” or something similar would suffice – it’s the bundle of rights that it conveyys which are sadly lacking in the current set-up.
If the person you love gets hit by a car, wouldn’t you want to be by their side when they wake up in hospital ? Homosexual couples, even if effectively “married” at the moment, would be denied the same rights of visitation as heterosexual “married” couples, and I’m sorry – I just think that kind of thing is plain wrong !
Ultimately, what possible difference would it make to give formal acceptance to the love that two people share … it’s a good thing, surely.
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What a peculiar comment from Michel (above, no.1): surely nobody is suggesting that civil partnerships should be introduced in Jersey INSTEAD of maternity leave. They are two entirely separate issues.
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What about the singles, surely they are being discriminated against just because they do not want or can not enter into an agreement or have long lasting relationships.They receive punishing tax assesments, no chance of social housing, etc just because they do not or can not want this or children.
Perhaps the problem is the positive discrimination given to those we consider the norm (relationships children)Why should somone who wants a solitary life have to pay for all those that do.
How about tax releife for child number 1 then removal of that releife when number 2 comes along, instead of rewarding those who bread out of control with handouts.
Surely discrimination when a minority are not alowed equality because they have a diferent make up, mentaly or physicly from the norm.
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Mike 1 – maternity is on its way, nothing is being given priority.
However, we are lagging way behind in the western world when it comes to same-sex unions and it’s time we got our act together. What a coup it would be for Jersey if it introduced full same-sex marriage and not civil partnership. The money, press and tourism it would creat for the island would be enormous.
Either way, it’s long over due.
I personally don’t care what it’s called as long as the rights attached to it have the same legal standing as what married couples have now.
I may be mis-quoting someone here but of course gay people should have the right to be as miserable as other married heterosexual couples.
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My partner recently asked me to marry him and while i was waiting for ther registrar to see us i happened to read across what was accepted and was not accepted…
did you know that not only is it illegal to marry someone of the same sex it is illegal to marry your step sybling (even if your parents broke up year ago) or that you can not marry your ex husband/wife’s children or parents? It all seems rather strange to me – especially when marrying your cousin is legal! Surely if you can marry your blood cousin you should be able to marry anybody who doesn’t share your DNA or who happens to be the same gender as you.
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Social Security declared to me last week that they were, unlike the Income tax dept, keeping up with the times by including joint earnings for all adults in a household in their Income Support assessment, even if the household consisted of a same-sex partnership.
So the result is that we are effectively having to declare our earnings as if we are a married couple, yet unable to claim any corresponding tax benefits that a married couple can claim.
It’s funny how a State department can be forward-looking when it is of financial benefit to themselves.
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