UK plans to lift ban on gay church ceremonies

UK plans to lift ban on gay church ceremonies
By The Associated Press
02.14.2011 3:41pm EST
Lawmakers in the United Kingdom plan to lift the ban on same-sex civil partnership ceremonies in churches.

Send / ShareAdd CommentThe Sunday Times reports Liberal Democrat Equality Minister Lynne Featherstone will present a timetable to allow the unions in religious buildings and a proposal to end the ban on same-sex marriages.

Religious groups will not be forced to perform the ceremonies. The Church of England is one organization that opposes the law.

A spokesperson for the Church of England told the BBC: “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.”

Synagogues and mosques are also covered under the new legislation, though homosexuality is forbidden under Orthodox Judaism and Islam.

The UK has granted 26,000 civil partnerships to same-sex couples since they were legalized in 2005.