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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Civil partnerships to be opened to opposite sex couples

139 replies

Lottapianos · 02/10/2018 12:08

Well I was NOT expecting to hear any good news from the Tory party conference but here we are. I know lots of us on here have been waiting and hoping for this and it's been announced today. No idea yet when it will become legally possible but it's happening.

I think this is really good news and DP and I will most definitely be taking full advantage at the earliest opportunity Smile

OP posts:
YetAnotherSpartacus · 02/10/2018 12:09

WONDERFUL!!!!! Great news.

BiologyIsReal · 02/10/2018 12:11

About time too, to end discrimination against heterosexual couples.

Barracker · 02/10/2018 12:17

good.

Judder · 02/10/2018 12:35

Fantastic. It's only fair.

homoseXXualmum · 02/10/2018 12:47

I'm not really sure why anyone would want it because it's the exact same thing, just a different name (and being derived from marriage shares the same root from the past) and in some countries you even have lesser rigts than an actual marriage.

Glad for anyone who would want it though.

thereareflowersinmygarden · 02/10/2018 12:48

What for? Odd

SPARKS17 · 02/10/2018 12:50

I would have preferred a civil partnership to a marriage but its come 18 months too late for me!

Glad all couples will have the choice in the future.

drivinmecrazy · 02/10/2018 12:51

How do you end a civil partnership? Is it easier, simpler than a divorce?

Original poster
Lottapianos · 02/10/2018 12:53

You apply for a dissolution. Same as a divorce as far as I know, except that adultery is not accepted as grounds for a dissolution

OP posts:
ShackUp · 02/10/2018 12:54

I'd prefer this to marriage, but 10 years too late for me!

PilarTernera · 02/10/2018 12:54

How do you end a civil partnership?

The procedure is similar to divorce, not any easier. The main difference is that adultery is grounds for divorce, but not for dissolution of a civil partnership.

PilarTernera · 02/10/2018 12:55

Cross posts with Lotta

drivinmecrazy · 02/10/2018 12:55

Would you have to cite a reason or would it just be dissolved like a commercial partnership?
I'm struggling to see a difference between marriage and a civil union.

PilarTernera · 02/10/2018 12:59

There isn't much difference between a civil partnership and a civil marriage. CP was brought in to get round the opposition to gay marriage, but the law was entirely modelled on marriage.

Now that both marriage and CP will be open to same-sex and opposite-sex couples, the biggest difference will be the name. The other differences are mostly technical.

dolorsit · 02/10/2018 12:59

Excellent news.

Couples can have a number of reasons not to marry and I'm glad they get another option.

FloralBunting · 02/10/2018 13:01

I think it's really odd, though I have nothing against it as an idea.

Civil partnerships were a fudge from the outset, to get out of allowing equal marriage. Now we have equal marriage, the best argument for keeping civil partnerships is to provide an alternative legally recognized romantic commitment to marriage, and therefore there is no reason to exclude heterosexual couples.

I genuinely don't see the point, really, though. It really, really seems like splitting hairs at this point, but I'm happy for people to be able to make the choice they're happy with.

drivinmecrazy · 02/10/2018 13:07

That is where I struggle. My gay friends couldn't wait to dump the CP when it became possible for them to marry.
They had to wait until their late sixties for the privilege.
Interestingly their marriage is still not considered equal when it comes to rights to their pensions.
We still have a long way to go in the struggle for true equality.

GladAllOver · 02/10/2018 13:08

Couples can have a number of reasons not to marry and I'm glad they get another option.

Can you mention a few of those reasons?
I can see that historically marriage had the taint of 'ownership', but what are the problems with it now?

TheDogsMother · 02/10/2018 13:09

Great news ! DP and I have both been married before and are happy as partners as opposed to husband and wife. We've always wanted to iron out the legal disadvantages compared to being married so we can ! I'm delighted that gay couples can marry and now it seems equally fair that hetero couples can have a civil partnership. The government was never going to race to fix this as the whole living together generation starts to get to the age where inheritance tax will need to be paid

SpartacusAutisticusAHF · 02/10/2018 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Knowmydisrespect · 02/10/2018 13:23

It isn't hugely dissimilar to marriage, to be honest, and is very much modelled on marriage, but with less historical baggage.

It was clearly illogical to extend marriage to same-sex couples on the grounds of equality while at the same time denying cp as an option to mixed-sex couples.

YeTalkShiteHen · 02/10/2018 13:25

Who knew I’d ever agree with the Tories. When it comes in DP and I will do it.

I’ve been a wife. Never again. (No reflection or judgement on anyone else, it’s just not for us)

VickieCherry · 02/10/2018 13:54

Hoorah!

For people asking why someone might want this - marriage is not always a happy thing. For some, even the word marriage suggests arguments, abuse, control etc. Plenty of people who have bad experiences - or see them in their lives - swear they will never marry. Now there is to be another option, while still protecting loved ones.

FloralBunting · 02/10/2018 13:58

Give it a few decades, and I can't see why there won't be another group of people for whom 'civil partnership' doesn't have the same connotations.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 02/10/2018 14:05

I don't get why so many naice wives don't get that other women might not want the same deal they have?