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| Civil partnerships: First mixed-sex unions take place | Civil partnerships: First mixed-sex unions take place |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| One of the first mixed-sex couples to become civil partners hailed it as a "unique, special and personal moment". | One of the first mixed-sex couples to become civil partners hailed it as a "unique, special and personal moment". |
| Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, who won a legal battle for the right to heterosexual civil partnerships, celebrated at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in west London. | Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, who won a legal battle for the right to heterosexual civil partnerships, celebrated at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in west London. |
| Previously, the law only allowed same-sex couples to be civil partners. | Previously, the law only allowed same-sex couples to be civil partners. |
| About 84,000 mixed-sex couples could form civil partnerships next year, the government says. | About 84,000 mixed-sex couples could form civil partnerships next year, the government says. |
| Introduced for same-sex couples in 2005, civil partnerships offer almost identical rights as marriage, including property, inheritance and tax entitlements. | Introduced for same-sex couples in 2005, civil partnerships offer almost identical rights as marriage, including property, inheritance and tax entitlements. |
| After Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan won their legal bid at the Supreme Court in 2018 for the right to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage, the rules were changed to make them available to everyone in England and Wales. | |
| The Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill is currently making its way through the Scottish Parliament to make mixed-sex partnerships legal north of the border. | |
| And in Northern Ireland, a law which requires the government to legalise same-sex marriage next month also requires it to extend civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples. | |
| Speaking on the steps of the register office, Ms Steinfeld said their "personal wish" to form a civil partnership came from a "desire to formalise our relationship in a more modern way, with a focus on equality, and mutual respect". | Speaking on the steps of the register office, Ms Steinfeld said their "personal wish" to form a civil partnership came from a "desire to formalise our relationship in a more modern way, with a focus on equality, and mutual respect". |
| She said: "So today is a unique, special and personal moment for us, a moment that we've been able to affirm our love and commitment to one another in the company of our beautiful children, Eden and Ariel, and close friends." | She said: "So today is a unique, special and personal moment for us, a moment that we've been able to affirm our love and commitment to one another in the company of our beautiful children, Eden and Ariel, and close friends." |
| Ms Steinfeld said it creates "new, modern possibilities" for thousands of people to express their love and commitment and ends "the unrivalled position of marriage". | Ms Steinfeld said it creates "new, modern possibilities" for thousands of people to express their love and commitment and ends "the unrivalled position of marriage". |
| She called for "deeper discussions" on giving legal recognition to other kinds of caring relationships, including those between friends, siblings and co-parents. | She called for "deeper discussions" on giving legal recognition to other kinds of caring relationships, including those between friends, siblings and co-parents. |
| Mr Keidan said they succeeded in their legal battle "against all odds" but added that their mental health has suffered under the strain. | Mr Keidan said they succeeded in their legal battle "against all odds" but added that their mental health has suffered under the strain. |
| Five years after being refused permission to give notice of a heterosexual civil partnership, Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan will finally become civil partners today. | Five years after being refused permission to give notice of a heterosexual civil partnership, Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan will finally become civil partners today. |
| Their conscientious objection to marriage and what they saw as its patriarchal associations led to a lengthy legal battle culminating in a unanimous Supreme Court ruling last year that the law was discriminatory and breached their right to a family and private life. | Their conscientious objection to marriage and what they saw as its patriarchal associations led to a lengthy legal battle culminating in a unanimous Supreme Court ruling last year that the law was discriminatory and breached their right to a family and private life. |
| The government changed the law, opening such a union to the majority of the UK's 3.3 million co-habiting heterosexual couples. | The government changed the law, opening such a union to the majority of the UK's 3.3 million co-habiting heterosexual couples. |
| Many believe they are already protected by so-called "common law marriages", but these do not exist. | Many believe they are already protected by so-called "common law marriages", but these do not exist. |
| As a result, they do not enjoy the same property, inheritance and tax entitlements as married couples and civil partners. | As a result, they do not enjoy the same property, inheritance and tax entitlements as married couples and civil partners. |
| The government estimates as many as 84,000 mixed sex couples could become civil partners this year, giving them greater rights and protections within their relationships, without having to get married. | The government estimates as many as 84,000 mixed sex couples could become civil partners this year, giving them greater rights and protections within their relationships, without having to get married. |
| Cathy Brown and John Grisswell, from Wirksworth, Derbyshire, are another mixed-sex couple to go through the civil partnership ceremony on the day it became possible. | Cathy Brown and John Grisswell, from Wirksworth, Derbyshire, are another mixed-sex couple to go through the civil partnership ceremony on the day it became possible. |
| They had been married to other people before and wanted an alternative option. | They had been married to other people before and wanted an alternative option. |
| 'Patriarchal baggage' | 'Patriarchal baggage' |
| Ms Brown said she and Mr Grisswell felt "strongly" that "repeating those vows and promises, knowing they hadn't worked the first time, wasn't the route we wanted to go down". | Ms Brown said she and Mr Grisswell felt "strongly" that "repeating those vows and promises, knowing they hadn't worked the first time, wasn't the route we wanted to go down". |
| Mary Ann Lund and Gareth Wood, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, also went through a civil partnership ceremony on Tuesday. | Mary Ann Lund and Gareth Wood, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, also went through a civil partnership ceremony on Tuesday. |
| "It's more about the equality of a partnership rather than a marriage," Dr Lund said. | "It's more about the equality of a partnership rather than a marriage," Dr Lund said. |
| "That's something important to us, that we feel there is a kind of historical, patriarchal baggage in marriage and it's not particularly something that's for us." | "That's something important to us, that we feel there is a kind of historical, patriarchal baggage in marriage and it's not particularly something that's for us." |
| Another couple, Julie Thorpe, 61, and Keith Lomax, 70, said they were looking forward to being among the first mixed-sex people to officially enter a civil partnership - but it would not change their relationship "one jot". | Another couple, Julie Thorpe, 61, and Keith Lomax, 70, said they were looking forward to being among the first mixed-sex people to officially enter a civil partnership - but it would not change their relationship "one jot". |
| The couple from near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, have been living together for most of their 37-year relationship and have three children. | The couple from near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, have been living together for most of their 37-year relationship and have three children. |
| They will have a civil partnership ceremony at a register office in Halifax. | They will have a civil partnership ceremony at a register office in Halifax. |
| Ms Thorpe said: "It won't change our relationship one jot. It will not make any difference to how we behave towards each other when we get up the next day. | Ms Thorpe said: "It won't change our relationship one jot. It will not make any difference to how we behave towards each other when we get up the next day. |
| "We have had a very successful relationship for 37 years and a bit of paper is not going to make any difference to that whatsoever. It does give us some legal protection within that relationship." | "We have had a very successful relationship for 37 years and a bit of paper is not going to make any difference to that whatsoever. It does give us some legal protection within that relationship." |
| Mr Lomax, a human rights lawyer, added: "It is a mutual celebration of all of those and also of the people who actually brought the case to court and changed the law in the first place, because that was a very brave and bold thing to do at considerable financial risk." | Mr Lomax, a human rights lawyer, added: "It is a mutual celebration of all of those and also of the people who actually brought the case to court and changed the law in the first place, because that was a very brave and bold thing to do at considerable financial risk." |