Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone has said that homosexual couples could be allowed to ‘marry’ in traditional religious ceremonies.
In a written answer to a parliamentary question on the subject, Mrs Featherstone, a Liberal Democrat, said that the current Coalition Government is committed to talks on what the next stage should be for civil partnerships.
Mrs Featherstone disclosed that homosexual couples could be permitted to use ‘religious readings, music and symbols’ and said that the Government would now be holding talks with those with a ‘key interest’ in the issue, including religious leaders. Currently in the UK civil marriage ceremonies cannot contain any religious content.
Such a move would continue to erode the distinction between civil partnerships and marriage. Parliament recently removed the bar on same-sex unions in churches and other places of worship through an amendment to Labour’s Equality Act.
Lord Tebbit, former Chairman of the Conservative Party, said:
‘I wouldn’t want anything done to add to the pretense that a civil partnership is a marriage. That’s the key thing, and anything which changes the law would have to come back to the Lords.’
Andrea Minichiello Williams commented: “It is vital to safeguard traditional marriage for future generations and for the benefit of society. At a time when society has been described as ‘broken’, we need to restore a Christian moral framework and family values which have been eroded so dramatically in the last fifty years.”