Queen's Speech:

Trashing marriage,
not helping people

Today’s Queen’s Speech is likely to result in some of the most profound social changes ever brought about by legislation.

Under the Civil Partnerships Bill homosexual couples are to be given all the legal rights and privileges which currently only apply to married couples. It is ‘gay marriage’ in all but name and it is enshrining a lie in law. Since the take-up of the scheme will be incredibly low and there are many more deserving types of relationship, we question whether it is really about helping people at all. The proposals result in trashing marriage by equating it with gay liaisons.

Although a Gender Recognition Bill was not included in the Queen’s Speech, a draft Bill has already been published and full legislation could be slipped in at any time. This Bill would legalise marriage between two people of the same biological sex (where one of them has had a sex change operation).

Unfairness

The Civil Partnership Bill is unfair. The proposals only apply to gays and lesbians, whilst other house-sharers are excluded. Two old ladies who have lived together as friends for 40 years will have to pretend to be lesbians in order to get the legal benefits. Two sisters who share a house for 20 years incur inheritance tax when one dies. But under the plans, if a homosexual couple registered their partnership after a few months, one would inherit tax-free if his ‘partner’ died. According to Government statistics there are nearly 3 million households consisting of house-sharing arrangements, but only 0.2 per cent of households comprise a same-sex couple – that is 50,000 couples (i).

Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute, said today:
“The only hard cases that the Government appears to be concerned about are those involving homosexuals. There are many people in much greater need who are completely ignored by the Government’s proposals. A friend who looks after a disabled person on a long term basis, a daughter living with her elderly mother, or a grandson living with his infirm grandfather – none of these will be helped by civil partnerships.”

“In Denmark only 3.5% of all homosexuals have taken out a civil partnership. In the UK the Government is banking on its estimate of a 1.5% take up rate by homosexuals after 10 years(ii). This begs the question, why, for this tiny number of people, is the Government proposing a wholesale re-writing of family law?”

Enshrining a lie in law

“Under the Government’s proposals the law will enshrine a lie. Holy matrimony will be equated with a homosexual liaison. In the name of ‘gender recognition’, two people of the same biological sex will also be allowed to marry if one of them has had a sex change operation.”

“Whilst in the sight of God those who are actually married will still be married, in the sight of the law true marriage will be repealed from the statute book. It will be replaced by the bogus concept of ‘new marriage’. It would be a clear rejection of Christian values. What is immoral is equated with the holy and honourable estate of marriage.”

Religious liberties

The Christian Institute is concerned about religious liberties. Under the proposals registrars in registry offices will be responsible for gay civil partnerships and for civil marriages involving transsexuals.

Colin Hart added:
“Many registrars will not want to conduct such partnership ceremonies or transsexual marriages. Will they lose their jobs? If so, then being a registrar will no longer be open to Evangelicals or Roman Catholics.”

“No church minister who holds to the historic Christian faith would want to marry people of the same sex. To prevent this happening church ministers would need to see the original birth certificates of every couple who comes forward for marriage. Will the law allow this?”

The wider effect on society

The Institute is concerned that marriage, a fundamental building block of society, is being profoundly undermined by the proposals. Colin Hart said:
“Marriage has a special place in law because of its unique social benefits. Marriage is the surest foundation for raising children. At present the legal definition of marriage is directly based on Christian teaching. It is the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. ”(iii)

“It does not matter whether people marry in a registry office or St Paul’s Cathedral. Whether the couple are Christians or atheists, taking marriage vows means they are equally married in the sight of God. There is no difference between ‘Christian’ marriage and ‘civil’ marriage. Marriage is marriage.”

“Marriage is defined in the order of nature. It is based on biology not ideology. It is not a social construct which can be changed at will. If it was, then there would be no logical reason why three people could not marry. Parliament is no more able to change the true definition of marriage, than it is to pass a law declaring that henceforth the moon is made of cheese.”

- ENDS -

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(i) House of Commons, Hansard, 11 May 2000, col. 471 wa
(ii) DTI Women & Equality Unit, Civil Partnership: A framework for the legal recognition of same-sex couples, June 2003, Appendix A(1)
(iii) Hyde v Hyde and Woodmansee [1866] LR 1 PD 130