In a momentous move for gay rights in the United Kingdom, gay men and women will be able to marry under marriage law reforms set to be announced later this week, according to the Sunday Times.
Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat equalities minister of the coalition Government, will announce the change this week, bringing Britain into line with other nations such as Canada and South Africa as well as European Union members Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain.
The current law defines marriage as between a man and a woman, but the change in the classification of the union will now include same-sex couples. This will allow gays and lesbians to marry in civic buildings such as registry offices, as well as other traditional settings, as reported by The Sunday Times.
The move will come as a blow to The Church of England, which sought to persuade the Government to uphold legal differences between marriage and civil unions. The Church also opposes a move to allow civil unions to take part in places of worship.
Under separate legislation, religious venues will be able to apply for a license to hold civil partnerships, allowing those seeking the union to carry out their ceremony in church.
Other religions, such as the Quakers and liberal branches of Judaism welcome the move, but a spokesperson for the Church of England told Sky News: “Given the Church’s view on the nature of marriage, the House of Bishops has consistently been clear that the Church of England should not provide services of blessing for those who register civil partnerships.
“The proposal as reported could lead to inconsistencies with civil marriage, have unexplored impacts, and lead to confusion.
“Any change could therefore only be brought after proper and careful consideration of all the issues involved.”
A Whitehall source told The Sunday Times: "This is not just about gay rights but also about religious freedom. Quakers and liberal Judaism want to do this. Attitudes have changed to gay marriage. We are going to look at what legislative steps we could begin to make gay marriage possible."
Civil partnerships have been in force since 2004 and the legal procedures of civil partners turning their union into marriage are currently being considered.
