Gay marriage: the story so far...
Since gay couples could register civil partnerships in December 2005, thousands of same sex couples have signed up. Officially known as the Civil Partnership Act of 2004, the act has affectionately come to be known as gay marriage, offering gay couples the same benefits and security that is provided by a heterosexual marriage. We take an in-depth look at gay marriage in the UK and how the figures have changed since the act was passed.
Civil Partnership Facts
- Since the Civil Partnership Act came into force on 5th December 2005, there have been 26, 787 civil partnerships.
- In the UK in 2007, 4,770 civil partnerships were formed between men.
- London is by far the most popular region in the UK to register a civil partnership. Although London accounts for only 12% of the UK adult population, 24% of all civil partnerships took place in London.
- London's central borough, City of Westminster, remains the most popular borough in which to register a civil partnership.
- Civil partnerships between male couples far outweigh the number between female couples. In London, of all the civil partnerships registered, 73% were by men.
Resource: Office for National Statistics
However, the story is far from rosy. Many civil partnerships registered in the first year were thought to have been done on the spur of the moment in retaliation to the system that denied them this right for so long. Evidence points to the fact that civil partnerships are just as likely to crumble as heterosexual marriages.
With figures relating to the number of ‘divorces' or dissolutions uncertain, early indications suggest that perhaps the UK gay population does not take the civil union seriously enough. This comes just after Little Britain star Matt Lucas and his long-term partner announced their split in the first celebrity gay ‘divorce'.
'Rights and responsibilities on dissolution will include fair arrangements for property and asset division, residence arrangements and appropriate contact with children. This is the same as divorce,' according to gay rights lobbying group Stonewall.
The future is uncertain over the success of civil partnerships and whether it was just a fad that gay people are generally not interested in.
