featured
9O`S\
We wanted to celebrate being together
and make a statement in that way as
well. It was a legal and romantic gesture
in pretty much equal measure. We’d
spoken about a commitment ceremony
ant

41,
a body piercer
AO`OV 44,
a civil serv
before, but they don’t really mean
anything so we didn’t have one. When it
became a legal possibility, we thought,
great – it gives us what we want out of it
“
“
It w
as a l
eg
al a
nd

rom
ant
ic g
est
ur
e
in p
ret
ty m
uc
h
eq
ua
l m
ea
su
re.

as well as giving us the legal standing.
“We got CP’d on the 31st October 2006
at the India Buildings Registry Offi ce on Because gay people aren’t given full
Victoria Street in Edinburgh. marriage rights, and aren’t allowed the
option of having a religious ceremony,
We’d been together at that point for I think a lot of people felt that we were
three years, and we didn’t want to be just being thrown a stick to shut us up,
among the fi rst crowd of people who and that put them off having a civil
jumped and got a civil partnership partnership. It’s not taken seriously by
because it seemed there was a lot of some gay people. There’s also the issue
hype around it. We wanted to put that the freedom of the gay lifestyle has
ourselves on a safe legal footing because always suited a lot of people and why
we wanted to get property together. would they want to lose that? Most of
As a civil servant, I also get a decent my friends that have done it have been
pension, and I wanted to make sure it over 40, so young people certainly
would go to Karen if anything aren’t embracing it as much as older
happened. lesbians.”
ABOUT TO
>OcZ
POP THE

O 39,
a Police
QUESTION?
Communication
Offi cer
DWQYg 37,
a fi refi ghter
the pics:
Helen Maybanks
An experienced documenter of civil partnerships,
based in Central London.
www.helenmaybanks.com
Phase Photographic
Specialists in civil partnership photography who
26
work mostly on the South Coast and in the
West Country (but are happy to travel!).
www.phasephotographic.com
“My partner and I are having our civil partnership on really, so in a way it’s more of a kind of legal thing. If
the 17 October at Chelsea Old Town Hall. anything happened in hospital, you should have the the dress:
right to go and see that person, and, vice versa, she Get Waisted
We decided to do it because we’ve been together for should have the legal right to come and see me. Brighton-based purveyor of high quality wedding
10 years, we love each other and we want to show our outfi ts, with a special interest in providing for
commitment to each other. Also, we’ve got pensions Some lesbians don’t want to conform and be like all couples having civil partnerships.
and property, and want to make sure if anything the heterosexual couples! We’ve got friends who www.getwaisted.co.uk
happens to either of us, then that’ll be sorted out. With defi nitely don’t want to get a civil partnership. And I
fi nances, property and pensions, you want to know think that for the sake of gay equality, then many the cake:
that your partner is looked after if anything happened. gay people would want to do it. But it’s not equal is Choccywoccydoodah
it? We’re not allowed a religious ceremony – not Talented cake makers with a history of providing
I said I’d never do it – when I was younger I wouldn’t that I’d want one, but people should be able to. A lot awe-inspiring pieces for civil partnership
have considered it as I just felt too young. But time goes of wedding companies have just got on that pink ceremonies. Cakes are available from outlets in
on, you get older, and accrue more money. The worry wedding bandwagon, and I think the cost of it must Brighton, London, Manchester and Birmingham,
of what would happen sort of made this decision for us put some people off as well.” as well as to order online.
www.choccywoccydoodah.com
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100