Tories' gay outrage

9:28am Tuesday 30th September 2003

THE prospect of gay marriage ceremonies taking place in Buckinghamshire has shocked some Conservative councillors.

Outrage was sparked at a Buckinghamshire County Council meeting on Thursday, when Cllr Margaret Dewar, the cabinet member for community services, said the authority, which runs the marriage registration service, might offer partnership ceremonies.

Cllr Frank Sweatman, member for Marlow North, wanted an assurance services would be for heterosexual couples only.

Cllr Bob Woollard (Marlow Rural) said: "On the face of it we have gone back 20 years to the days of Red Ken, the Loonie Left and the GLC."

Cllr David Meacock (Amersham East) added: "If we mean heterosexual we should be saying it."

No councillors spoke up about the right of gay and lesbian couples to enter into partnership arrangements, but Cllr Dewar refused to give Cllr Sweatman the assurance he demanded.

She said Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire were offering partnership ceremonies. It was part of the 21st century. She said a law was to be passed requiring that the council's registrars registered gay partnerships, if asked to do so.

Cllr Dewar, a mother-of-ten, told Midweek: "I don't care if Fred wants to sleep with John, as long as you preserve the family tradition. I can't say they are bad or good people, because life isn't like that."

The Government is currently consulting on plans to allow partnerships merely to be registered.

This would bring gay couples similar legal rights and responsibilities to married heterosexual couples, including income rights, benefit and pension rights, parental responsibilities and issues concerning the health of a partner.

Registration would also provide these rights to heterosexual couples who did not want to marry.

Bucks County Council will bring in registration when the law is changed, but the ceremonies could come in earlier.

Cllr Dewar will discuss the issue with her policy advisory group when they meet on October 7.

'Same sex partnerships should be taken further' A GAY and lesbian leader has said same sex couples should be given the same rights as heterosexuals. John Tutton, who runs an outreach group for gays, lesbians and bisexuals in High Wycombe, said proposals for ceremonies and registration of same sex partnerships should be taken further. Mr Tutton, manager of The Pride pub in London Road, High Wycombe, said: "When a straight person is with the same person for six months, they are seen as common-law partners. That should be the same for a gay or lesbian couple who show the same commitment." But he said the prospect of Buckinghamshire County Council offering partnership ceremonies was a "good start". He added: "I have a couple here who had to go to Brighton so they could have their relationship registered so it would be good for couples to have that here." Mr Tuttonset up Out And About, a Wycombe-based outreach group to support gay, lesbian and bisexuals younger than 25. He said the comments from Conservative councillors were not unexpected. "People that get to these positions are by their nature introspective. They are not very real world," he said. Registration could also help same sex couples bringing up children. "I think that same sex partners can bring up children just as well."