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Elton leads way in England's gay revolution

21/12/2005

Sir Elton John has tied the knot with long-term partner David Furnish this morning as part of the first wave of same-sex civil partnerships in England and Wales.

The celebrity couple, who have been together for 11 years, belied their reputation for lavish living when they formalised their union at a simple ceremony at a registration office in Windsor this morning.

The happy couple emerged from the registry office shortly before 11:45 GMT to pose for waiting photographers, both wearing rings to symbolise their union.

Sir Elton will host a star-studded party at his nearby mansion this evening to celebrate the ceremony, which will be attended by 700 guests including Victoria Beckham and George Michael.

The ceremony was one of the first to take place in England and Wales, with the new Civil Partnerships Act coming into force today.

Earlier this morning, three same-sex couples became the first to form civil partnerships in England and Wales in a joint ceremony in Brighton, the UK's unofficial gay capital.

Hundreds of guests, dignitaries and journalists witnessed the signing of the partnership documents at Brighton and Hove register office at 08:00 GMT.

Among those tying the knot at this morning's ceremony was the Reverend Debbie Gaston, who formalised her relationship with her partner of 16 years, Elaine Gaston.

"For 16 years we haven't had the opportunity to do something that all our friends and family have been able to do," she said.

An estimated 700 same-sex couples are due to become civil partners across England and Wales today, with Brighton and Hove register office scheduled to formalise 17 partnerships alone.

Today's ceremonies come two days after the first same-sex union took place in the UK.

Lesbian partners Shannon Sickles and Grainne Close became the first British couple to tie the knot in a civil partnerships ceremony at Belfast city hall on Monday morning, taking advantage of the earlier enaction of the Civil Partnerships Act in Northern Ireland.

However, despite the apparent breakthrough for gay and lesbian rights, many campaigners are angry that the Civil Partnerships Act stops short of legalising actual gay marriage.

"By legislating a two-tier system of relationships, the Labour [government] has, in effect, created a form of legal apartheid based on sexual orientation," leading gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, of campaign group OutRage!, wrote on the organisation's website.

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