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Amendment to Equality Bill may bring civil partnerships to churches
Campaigners are seeking to get an amendment tabled to the Equality Bill to allow religious buildings to hold civil partnership ceremonies.
The amendment would give ministers of religion the option of presiding over the ceremonies and would not be compulsory, reports Pink News.
When civil partnerships came into law, a prohibition was placed on their being held in religious buildings. They must instead be carried out in other buildings licenced to host them.
Many churches also oppose holding civil partnerships but some denominations such as the Quakers have expressed their support for recognising gay couples. This year, the Quakers agreed to hold same-sex marriages, rather than civil partnerships.
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Ekklesia
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November 19, 2009
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