[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Meh not really. That said I know only one gay couple who have a civil partnership...but they class themselves as married, and tell people they are married :S

Its essentially the same thing but with a different name. So while I do think its daft for gay people to 'technically' not be able to be married...I also think its a bit daft to get wound up about not being able to get married in the traditional sense.

I suppose I'm more caught up with how other people perceive it. I just don't think we can say gay people have the same rights until gay marriage is legal.

And I definitely dont agree with some peoples ideas about forcing churches to allow gay marriages to happen. We have to respect their views (however ignorant and bigoted they are) and if their views are that being gay is a sin...then its wrong to force church folk to do something they disagree with.

That's the thing, though. The 'church' is so diverse and full of conflicting opinions that it's a bit rich to say they're being laboured with something they totally disagree with: there're many gay priests and bishops (and that's ignoring the obvious choir-boy jibes ) who're in favour of gay marriage. On the other hand there're groups of Christians in favour of picketing soldiers' funerals with "God Hates Fags" placards. It's not entirely representative to worry we're imposing something a whole religion disagrees with on them, when they don't.

Is a civil partnership just going to a registry office? Or is that classed as marriage too?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...l-partnerships

Reading that it would appear the only difference is a religious one.