BB FANS

Sir Elton celebrates his big day


Sir Elton and Mr Furnish waved at fans when they left
Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish have become one of the first gay couples in England and Wales to "tie the knot" in a civil partnership ceremony.

The "wedding" of Sir Elton and Mr Furnish attracted hundreds of fans and onlookers to the streets of Windsor on Wednesday.

BBC

Why should gay couples have an advantage over straight couples?

Peter Tatchell said exactly this.

It should be equal accross the board.

Does this mean Furnish can refer to himself as Lady? Or does he become Sir David Furnish?

Wednesday Dec 21 16:47 AEDT

Activists are urging Australia to introduce a national civil union scheme for gay relationships similar to the new arrangement in Britain.

Singer Elton John and his long-term partner David Furness were among the first to register their relationship under the UK's civil union scheme.

Australian Coalition for Equality (ACE) spokesman Rod Swift said Australia was increasingly out of step, with same-sex civil unions or marriage possible in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, across Western Europe, in several US states, and now the UK.

"The formal recognition of both same-sex and heterosexual, non-marital relationships is important to legally protect these relationships equally and fairly", Mr Swift said in a statement.

Full story ninemsn

Sir Elton and Mr Furnish's 11-year partnership was sealed after just 30 minutes and the happy couple re-emerged arm-in-arm in bright sunshine.

What it means, cc100, is the gay community now have the same partner rights in law that hetrosexual couples have. About time too.

The actor Sir Antony Sher and his partner also signed a civil partnership today

What do you mean? Are they cancelling heterosexual couples weddings to fit in all the homosexual ones?

I think that this new civil partnership law is great. I am not gay myself so it probably wont really effect my life too much, but neither will a lot of things I take interest in or am happy about.
I don't see any reason why gay couples shouldn't have the same rights as straight ones. So, if I like men and Elton John likes men then how does that make either one of us a worser person?

Stars pack Elton 'wedding' party

Ringo Starr and Victoria Beckham were among the stars who celebrated at Sir Elton John and David Furnish's civil partnership party.

Stars were caught in a celebrity traffic jam as they made their way to the lavish party at the couple's Old Windsor mansion.

Sir Elton, 58, earlier "wed" Mr Furnish, 43, at Windsor Guildhall.

Crowds gathered for their ceremony, which came on the first day of same-sex unions in England and Wales.

Paparazzi and locals were treated to a good view of celebrities as they arrived at the party.

Their cars had to queue through country lanes near the couple's home.

Sitting in the back of a Rolls Royce, Beckham cradled a parcel in silver packaging and chatted to a friend.

Actress Liz Hurley, TV's Cilla Black, fashion house head Donatella Versace and model Claudia Schiffer were also among the guests.

England cricket captain Michael Vaughan and tennis star Greg Rusedski were there from the world of sport.

Colleagues from the music industry, singers James Blunt and Jamie Cullum were also in the queue.

Entertainer Lulu pointed at the traffic and said: "This could only happen for Elton."

Happy couple

Sir Elton and Mr Furnish are among 700 gay couples joining in a civil partnership on Wednesday.

Similar ceremonies took place first in Northern Ireland on Monday, then in Scotland on Tuesday.

The couples will be granted new rights in areas such as employment, pension and inheritance. But the partnerships are not officially regarded as marriages under UK law.

At Sir Elton and Mr Furnish's 1100 GMT service were a small number of guests, including the British video artist Sam Taylor-Wood.

Ms Taylor-Wood - who arrived with husband Jay Jopling, owner of the White Cube Gallery in London - entered the Guildhall with Arthur, Mr Furnish's black-and-white dog, on a lead.

After the ceremony, the happy couple were showered with rice on the steps of the Guildhall. Two young women managed to break through the police cordon to present them with an apple ice-cream cake.

Asked how it went, Sir Elton said: "Great, thanks."

"It was a very emotional service," Ms Taylor-Wood told the BBC News website.

"Everyone clapped, and of course they kissed at the end," added Mr Jopling.

'Wonderful'

Actor Sir Antony Sher is also celebrating after he and his long-term partner, theatre director Greg Doran, had their own civil partnership ceremony at Islington Town Hall in north London.

"It's wonderful," Sir Antony said. "It's a little bit of history being made.

"I feel very proud this is happening in this country and that we can be part of the very first group to have it done.

"It means an enormous amount to be legal together after 18 and a half years."

BBC

HUNDREDS TIE KNOT AS THE CLOCK STRIKES 8


NEARLY 700 gay couples did an Elton yesterday - and tied the knot. As it struck 8am, same-sex weddings in England and Wales finally got underway, with two gay vicars among the first to make history.

In UK gay capital Brighton, Rev Debbie Gaston, 46, was one of three couples exchanging vows.

She signed documents at the city's register office with her partner Elaine Cook as Gino Meriano and Mike Ullett, Roger Lewis and Keith Willmott-Goodall put pens to paper simultaneously. They were serenaded by a male choir.

Toasting the day with pink bubbly Rev Gaston, said: "Everything has been wonderful."

A clergywoman in the Metropolitan Community Church, she prayed for protesters who opposed the partnerships, adding: "If Jesus were here he would be inside with us having a good old knees up. "

In Newcastle another gay vicar walked down the aisle.

Rev Christopher Wardale and Malcolm Macourt exchanged vows at a civil partnership ceremony followed by a church blessing.

The former Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev David Jenkins, took part in the service. Mr Wardale, who has lived with retired lecturer Mr Macourt, 58, for 21 years, urged others to share their joy.

Shakespearean actor Sir Antony Sher recited a speech from Cyrano de Bergerac as he tied the knot with partner Greg Doran, 47.

"It's a little bit of history being made," said Sir Antony, 56, after an emotional ceremony at Islington Town Hall in North London.

In Leeds, businessmen Michael Rothwell and Terry George held their Moulin-Rouge themed nuptials above a nightclub.

Shaun Johnson, 35, and Mark Johnson, 36, were among nine couples celebrating in Liverpool.

They were joined by four best men and more than 100 guests at the city's Town Hall.

Dave Cook and James Wright, chose a capsule of the London Eye - 135 feet above the capital.

But in Blackpool prison bosses banned terminally ill Nick Lock from tying the knot with Mark Beech, 37, who is serving six months jail in Wymott Jail.

Civil partnerships are a legally recognised union between two people of the same sex.

The law accords partners equitable treatment for important financial matters and provides next of kin rights. But there are differences with marriage.

One is that marriage has religious connotations, even if a ceremony is civil. Civil partnerships are only conducted by registrars.

Mirror

23-Dec-2005
Benjamin Cohen

Australia’s right wing Prime Minister has ruled out ever recognising gay marriages.

John Howard, Australia’s Prime Minister was reacting to the first gay marriages to be held in Britain earlier this week.: “I would be opposed to it. I think marriage is for men and women. That's why we amended the Marriage Act (in August last year).”

Mr Howard claimed that he is not seeking to discriminate against gay people but that he believes: “very strongly that marriage is exclusively a union for life of a man and a woman to the exclusion of others.”

Mr Howard’s stance was criticised by former Australian Medical Association President Kerryn Phelps who married her gay partner in New York eight years ago. Speaking to the Australian (a daily newspaper) she said: “"I have serious concerns about the intrusion of the church into matters of the state. Gender is the least important factor in determining whether a relationship is worthy of marriage.

“It makes me angry, disgusted, it makes me ashamed in many respects of our system of government and it makes me determined Australia should have a bill of rights that enshrines equality.”

Britain and Canada are thus far the only Commonwealth countries to offer gay marriages although South Africa is likely to be introducing a version in 2006.

Australian