Responses to Civil Partnership:A framework for the legal recognition ...

3. Emerging Themes3.1 Throughout the responses to the consultation paper a series of themesemerged and a number of concerns were raised about the Government’sproposals. In this part of the report we summarise those themesand concerns.Gay marriage?3.2 Some respondents felt that the proposals for civil partnerships closelyresembled marriage. It was clear that many of those who supported theprinciple of a civil partnership scheme would prefer that marriage was madeavailable to same-sex couples. Many respondents felt that it made little senseto create a separate status that was similar to one already available.“It is a matter of regret that the Government has not just changed the legaldefinition of the word ‘marriage’ to include same-sex couples, but theframework for the Civil Partnership seems to offer much to improve thehuman rights of gay men and women…”3.3 Others told us that they didn’t want a form of gay marriage and were gladthat the Government was suggesting a purely civil status.“Whilst my partner and I cannot legally marry, recognition that marriage is notthe only acceptable status for long-term relationships is important to me. Ibelieve that although my relationship mirrors many aspects of marriage, it alsohas differences in terms of how we view being together…”13