A homosexual couple in Essex plan to mount a legal challenge over the Government’s proposed ‘lock’ preventing the Church of England from conducting same-sex ‘marriages’.
Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow say that the legislation announced by the Government will result in discrimination against them.
The pair made headlines in 1999 for becoming one of the first same-sex couples in the UK to have children through a surrogate mother.
Reaction
Barrie Drewitt-Barlow said: “The government is attempting to enshrine discrimination in law against people just because they are gay.
“Like many couples, we look forward to being married in our local church, the same church, where our children were baptized. Now we are to be banned in law because we are gay, even if the vicar wanted to marry us”.
Opt-in
Culture Secretary Maria Miller told the Commons she was putting in place a “quadruple lock” of measures to guarantee religious organisations would not have to marry same-sex couples against their wishes.
Individual churches will be able to ‘opt-in’ if they wish to marry same-sex couples.
But congregations in the Church of England and Church in Wales will not be able to opt in.
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