Protests and cheers at Britain's first gay
'wedding'
By Sam Knight and agencies
To loud cheers, Grainne Close, a social worker from Belfast, and
Shannon Sickels, a playwright from New York City, walked hand in
hand from a black taxi and into Belfast City Hall this morning to
become Britain's first gay couple to have their relationship
recognised by law.
"We just want to say that this is a very privileged position we are
in this morning, and for us this is about making a choice," said Ms
Close, 32, who wore a black tuxedo, as she led Ms Sickels, dressed
in a white trouser suit, through a mob of photographers and
television crews.
The couple, who met in New York four years ago, invited 70 guests
to attend this morning's ceremony and witness the first civil
partnership to be formed in the UK.
On a cold morning, the party had to weather the insults of a group
of evangelical Christians who had gathered to protest the occasion
with banners threatening "the vengeance of eternal fire".
Fundamentalist Christians from the Rev. Ian Paisley's Free
Presbyterian Church held banners saying: "Be sure your sin will
find you out", and "Do not be deceived, homosexuals will not
inherit the Kingdom of God". But in a series of exchanges,
supporters of gay rights responded to their critics with
humour.
"You need to turn yourself away from your sinful lifestyle. Youre
an abomination before God," the Rev. James Dawson, a Scottish
vicar, told one lesbian couple as they walked past.
"You would be so lucky to have this lady, love," said the woman,
referring to her partner. "Ill see you at the gates of
heaven."
Others among the crowd carried posters mocking reactionary views,
with the slogans: "Earth is flat" and "Bring back slavery".
"If there was a protest like this in London or Manchester, these
people would be laughed off the street," said Andrew Thompson of
Belfast Pride, a gay rights group, who added that Northern Ireland,
despite an increase in homophobic crime, was becoming more
tolerant.
"Weve had 30 years of mindless crap here, but now more and more
people are saying Lets get on with life, lets live and let
live,'" said Mr Thompson.
Ms Close and Ms Sickels were the first of three homosexual couples
- one male, two female - scheduled to register their civil
partnerships in Belfast today.
Northern Ireland was the last part of the UK to legalise
homosexuality - in 1982 - but the first, because of the shorter
registration period, to allow civil partnerships. Today's
ceremonies come one day before the partnerships are legal in
Scotland, and two days before the law comes into effect in England
and Wales.
The new civil partnership law gives gay couples the same property
and inheritance rights as married heterosexuals and entitles them
to the same pension, immigration and tax benefits.
In all, 687 civil partnerships, including the union of Sir Elton
John and his partner David Furnish, are due to be formed on
Wednesday, the General Register Office said. Westminster will sign
in the most new couples, with 20 couples due to be joined.
After a twenty-minute ceremony and an exchange of platinum rings to
the tune of Dolly Partons "Touch Your Woman", Ms Close and Ms
Sickels emerged, legally bound, quickly to face the cameras once
again.
"We are delighted. Heres to many more," said Ms Sickels, who is
27.
Marie Quiery, a friend of the couple, called the registration
"moving and... very emotional".
"Grainne and Shannons families were there and their work
colleagues, their friends, their heterosexual friends, their gay
and lesbian friends," she said. "It was a lovely occasion."
The festivities continued after Ms Close and Ms Sickels and their
guests had driven away. No sooner had the crowds dispersed when a
pink stretch limousine drew up at the City Hall carrying
Christopher Flanagan and Henry Kane, Britain's first male couple to
form a civil union.
Mr Flanagan and Mr Kane wore matching white morning suit jackets,
black trousers and red cravats. The couple will spend their
honeymoon in Gran Canaria.