Civil Partnerships

[MrsT]

Now that civil partnerships are going ahead, is there a danger that impressionable young people will start to believe that homsexuality is normal?

[Englishbird]

Normanthedog, we're not bitching on the most part, we're debating, and we all enjoy it really. Merry Christmas x :o)

[flangels]

Sorry Rojash could you clarify your point please, I am not sure that I understand what your saying.

[Whickerman]

Dudes. It's not been made compulsory you know. If marrying a person of the same sex doesn't appeal to you, then don't do it. Just let others get on with their lives, it's none of your business.

[bancodegaia]

One thing that hasn't arisen from this thread is the fact that it's same sex couples who can enter a civil partnership but there is no need for them to be gay, so if two old blokes who have known each other for 60 years, are the best of friends and play bowls every day want to leave their estate (and funeral arrangemets) to the other and then they can enter into a CP so the partner then gets everything tax free on the death of the other and has the controlling say over the funeral arrangements. I admit that this scenario will be very unlikely to occur but there is nothing in the Act itself that says the partners must be gay.
I tend to agree with some posters that hetero couples are not allowed to enter into a CP and may possibly be discriminatory against them.
Not being married, I can't see why hetero people who have lived together for 20+ years and have kids don't want to get married - why don't couples want to get married in this case? - I don't understand why they wouldn't get married but would be prepared to go through a similar procedure just to get the same legal rights.

Either way I think the CPA is good for society (to answer the original question), if it means that more gay couples are accepted in society then great - who are we to block someone's happiness because it doesn't fit in with society's "norms"?
I'm not young or impressionable but I certainly haven't been influenced by 2 members of my family who are in long term gay relationships and are looking at becoming civil partners next year.

[angelap]

you are right that a loop hole has been found where two hetro' people could become civil partners to avoid having to pay inheritance tax on a large estate and then recieve the partners pensions etc. but would this not also be possible is two gay people got married? (a gay man and a lesbian) they would equaly be able to inherit the other persons estate and have a weighty say in arangements after death

[bancodegaia]

Angelap, to the letter of the law then yes two gay people of opposite sex can get married to obtain any inheritance / pension etc but the main difference in this scenario compared to the two old men / women entering into a CP is that with marriage also comes conjugal rights which CP has no equivalent.

[SarCaustic]

God created Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve in my opinion.

[angelap]

people are born hetrosexual or homosexual. it is not a choice! you are what you are.

[SarCaustic]

There is absolutely no proof that sexuality is determined genetically or otherwise such that a person is either heterosexual or homosexual from birth. I challenge any/all to prove otherwise! And where do bisexual people fit into all of this? As a matter of fact, the vast majority of people are somewhat bisexual according to Kinsey with very few strictly falling into the homosexual or heterosexual categories only. What do you make of that? Where they all born with a confused and slighlty indecisive sexuality gene or something? Pardon any apparent facetiousmess, I really can't help it - I must have been born this way...

[angelap]

all bisexual people i know like one sex better than the other. maybe they say they are bisexual because they cant come to terms with being gay or in some bizarre cases they say they are bi when they are not just to be different (eg girls telling lads they are bi is a turn on to some people). i as a gay young woman, can not remember a point in my life where i thought i was anything other than gay (not that i knew the word for it when i was a child, but i always knew i was different) This was not due to my upbringing it is just the way i am

[nice_pear]

i definatly believe that you are either born straight or gay! there is no choosing.

bisexual people are just greedy, haha.

[SarCaustic]

I realise that we are deviating a bit from the original topic so I'm gonna start a new thread. To keep it short:
To say that we are born gay or straight suggests that is characteristic is absolute from birth. Assuming that our sexuality is established before we are born - how do you account for teen sexuality crises (of the straight and gay variety)?

[nice_pear]

put a link on here to your new thread when you get a chance. then we can try and sort all of this out

[SarCaustic]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/People_and_Places/Questio n183151.html
You should find my Q via the link above - I've had a few responses but they've been diplomatic and not really worth the debate, so go out on a limb and make a stance i.e. give me something to debate rather than trying to please everyone. See you there

[simonthecat]

Ok, so I'm new to this forum. I was searching for some background information on civil partnerships - mainly cos I'm a budding author and I thought I'd include one in a story I'm writing.

I've searched the "official" websites and haven't found an answer (although I did find a rather nice gay wedding provider. Shame I'm straight...) ;-)

Having skimmed through the above it seems that no one has actually answered my question so I figured I'd ask it here.

Does the civil partnership ceremony include the "If anyone can show just cause..." bit that the wedding ceremony has? I mean, I always thought it was part of the legal wording that had to be there. If either partner is still married (or still in a civil partnership), for example, that is just cause regardless of their sexuality. Bigamy is bigamy!

On the other hand, I can understand why it would be removed if it has been. I'm not even sure if that bit is in the civil wedding ceremony...?

[siddlem]

Choice - marry and get the legal rights, don't marry and don't get the legal rights!

Choice - Have a CP and get the legal rights, don't have a CP and don't get the legal rights!

Can someone please tell me where the discrimination is there??

good balanced debate here i think.....apart from the odd one or two from the dark ages.