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作者：未知 来自：英国《卫报》 发布时间：2004-4-3 |
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 据英国《卫报》报道：英国政府在3月31日将颁布一部《民事伴侣关系法案》，这一法案将赋予同性恋者婚姻的合法权利。 该法案规定同性恋者可以前往登记办公机构签署一份官方的民事婚姻文件，即可享有与异性夫妻相同的法律权利，组建自己的家庭。该法案将赋予同性恋伴侣在医院的近亲地位权利，允许同性恋者成为辞世伴侣的养老金受益人，并在继承伴侣的房产时免缴遗产税。决定分手的同性恋伴侣也必须经过法庭裁决进行“离婚”。如果他们有孩子，还将协商解决抚养费的问题。 尽管政府坚持这并非是官方规定的结婚而是两人间的契约，同性恋伴侣还需要同结婚一样表明他们长相厮守的意愿。英国政府没有要求同性恋者必须同异性恋一样举行婚礼，而是让地方政府自行决定。 为了显得不太过于激进，英国政府保留了部分余地，将称所有的所有的伴侣，不分性取向，都会获得同样的权利。有英国政府官员说，“这事关平等，而非是关于某种特别的兴趣，同性恋者应当享有平等的权利承担同样的责任。”白厅负责起草该法令的官员说对于某些俱乐部成员来讲，政府作的可能还不够。养老金继承方面与结婚还是有所不同，继承权不可以回溯，事实的同性恋同居也将得不到承认，也就是说同性恋者得到的遗产数目将比较小。 这部法令的颁布将促成英国同性恋政治地位的重大改进。目前英国的各大政党都在争夺同性恋选民的选票。保守党还将举行一次“同性恋峰会”要求政府在这一问题上走更远。保守党曾提出过禁止地方政府提拔同性恋者的法令，现在为了选票它也在为同性恋者争取更大的政治权利。最近两次的选举研究表明有约半数的“粉色选票”投给了工党，有三分之一投给了自由民主党，只有9%的同性恋支持保守党。Gay couples win full rights to 'marriage'Sunday March 28, 2004The first laws giving gay people the right to 'marry' are to be unveiled this week in one of the most significant changes to Britain's social make-up since the passing of equal opportunities legislation in the 1960s.Attempting to show it still has a radical edge, the Government will say that all couples who sign up to a committed relationship should have the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation.'It is about equality,' said a Whitehall source. 'It is not about special favours - they will have the right to commit to one another and the responsibilities that brings.'Under the Civil Partnerships Bill to be published on Wednesday, same-sex couples will be able to sign a register held by the register office in a procedure similar to a marriage. Although the Govern ment will insist it is not officially a 'marriage' but rather a contract between two people, the fact that couples will have to announce their intentions beforehand in a similar way to the reading of the banns before a wedding reveals its true effect.Couples will have rights to pensions similar to married couples, will not have to pay inheritance tax on property passed between them when one dies and will have access to hospital records similar to that allowed for a spouse.The distress caused by the lack of rights for gay couples was highlighted by Trevor Bentham, who lived for 22 years with the actor Sir Nigel Hawthorne. Bentham had to pay a six-figure tax bill on Sir Nigel's half-share of their home, a 15th-century manor house in Hertfordshire, when the Yes Minister actor died.The Government has decided not to demand that gay couples should go through an official ceremony as heterosexual couples do but will leave it to the discretion of local authorities. It is likely that most councils will allow ceremonies to take place.Couples who then want to split will have to go through a dissolution in the courts, similar to a divorce. If there are children, maintenace payments will have to agreed.The publication of the Bill reveals the remarkable change in the political status of gay people in Britain - and the main political parties are now scrambling for the gay vote. Tomorrow the Conservatives will hold their first ever 'gay summit' and will demand that the Government go even further. The party that introduced Section 28, banning the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities, will now argue that it is the place for the gay vote.Whitehall sources close to the drafting of the Bill said it may not go far enough for some members of the gay lobby. It appears that pension rights for surviving partners will not be as generous as for married couples. Pension rights will not be backdated as they are for married couples, meaning gay couples will get a smaller amount. Some officials blamed the Treasury for blocking it because it was too expensive.Ben Summerskill, director of the leading gay campaigning group, Stonewall, said: 'Most people's objective for civil partnership is full equality. It is not something we can introduce gradually.'The Tories hope that disappointment on pensions may give them an opportunity to attack the Bill. 'It may well be that we turn out to be ahead of the Government here,' said Alan Duncan, shadow constitutional affairs Minister and the only openly gay Tory MP. 'We are watching very closely to see if the inheritance tax provisions are fair and match those of a married couple.Duncan will speak out on civil partnerships at tomorrow's Tory summit on gay issues. It will tackle problems from getting health insurance to homophobic bullying in schools. Brian Paddick, the gay Metropolitan Police commander, will discuss homophobic hate crime alongside Steve Norris, Tory candidate for London Mayor and an outspoken advocate of gay-friendly policies.Summerskill said: 'At the moment it is a question of (the Tories) dipping their toes in the water, and I'm not sure that gay electors will be skinny-dipping with Michael Howard just yet.'At the last two elections research suggests nearly half the 'pink vote' backed Labour: around a third of gay electors voted Liberal Democrat, with only nine per cent for the Tories. |
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