Equality Bill raises hopes of a religious character for civil partnership ceremonies
Meeting for Sufferings hears about initial progress on same-sex marriage
There is a possibility of significant movement on same-sex marriage within the next few months. Quakers are hoping to have an amendment added to the Equality Bill currently before the UK Parliament that would remove the bans on religious words and premises being used in civil partnership ceremonies and allow the use of Quaker registering officers.
However, achieving full equality for same sex marriages would take much longer – according to Michael Bartlet, Britain Yearly Meeting parliamentary liaison secretary, ‘that is something we’re not going to see this side of an election and probably not for five to ten years.’
General Meeting for Scotland was formally asked to take forward Quaker concerns with the devolved Scottish authorities: two relevant petitions are currently before the Scottish Parliament. Meetings are also planned between with the UK justice minister Maria Eagle and with other sympathetic religious groups, particularly the Unitarians and Liberal Judaism.
For more news from Meeting for Sufferings, see New ways to tackle Quaker giving and Quakers and the press move a little closer.
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