g3 Magazine SEPTEMBER 2009

featured
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Since 2005, it has been legal in this childrearing. The question is, should we
country for two women to enter into a re-arrange our lives or do we want to
civil partnership. In the same year, lesbian stand fi rm in our differences and gain
couples were also granted the right to strength from them? After all, letting go of
adopt. Having a child by IVF was also made the somewhat freer lifestyle which tends
easier for lesbians last year when the to typify gay culture, in favour of traditional
‘need for a father’ clause was eliminated heterosexual patterns of behaviour, may
from the law and, in August this year, a not be all it’s cracked up to be…
landmark lawsuit saw a lesbian couple Jane, 24, a sales assistant, says: “I may
permitted to have IVF on the NHS. enter into a civil partnership with my
These victories, aimed at allowing girlfriend when we’re older so that we
lesbian and gay people the same rights at can enjoy the legal benefi ts if one of us
straight people when it comes to dies, but beyond that, I don’t see the point.
expressing their love for one another and Equally, although I do feel a natural
cementing their relationship, have been maternal instinct, having children is not
hard-won. The struggle to achieve them something I can do as easily as a straight
31
has been immense. The fact remains that couple can, so I’m not going to jump
some of us just don’t want to fall in with through hoops to try and achieve it. I’m
heterosexual norms. It seems that whilst happy with things the way they are.” want or need it in order to validate my
a majority of the gay community are in Katie, 23, who is studying for a law love for my partner. Also, the religious
favour of being allowed to marry and degree, is not convinced. She states: “I origins of marriage make entering into
have children if they wish, many refrain think that it’s very important that we all that kind of arrangement even less
from doing so because they don’t feel the take advantage of these rights and I fi nd it appealing to me!”
need to try and emulate straight couples. horrifying that so many lesbians decide Despite some women harbouring
Without generalising too much, a not to get CPed, in particular.” Her such negative attitudes, most lesbian and
lesbian woman of 50 is more likely to opinion is countered quite ferociously by gay people still object to being denied the
spend Friday night in a bar than her her friend. Margaret, who is 26 and a web same rights as heterosexuals - and rightly
straight counterpart. In all the years of editor for a charity, says: “Why the hell so. This doesn’t change the fact that a
being denied the same legal rights, lesbian would I want to get married and have signifi cant proportion of us are in no hurry
and gay people have developed a whole kids? We’re supposed to be fi ghting to step into line with the Joneses by hitting
different culture (when it comes to against the whole white picket fence the registry offi ce and painting the nursery.
marrying and having children) which mentality and being proud to live a After all, we’ve lived differently for so long,
doesn’t centre around the milestones different lifestyle. Marriage is a relic from it may take some time for us to decide if
created by marriage and the process of the dark ages; it’s not for me – I don’t we really want to try to be the same.
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