Gay marriage
Question
I'm gay. Can I marry my partner and will we have the same rights as straight couples?
Answer
Thanks to the Civil Partnership Act (2004), it's now possible for couples of the same sex to enter into a civil partnership.
Although it's common to talk about this as 'gay marriage', there are a small number of differences between civil partnership and marriage. For example, opposite-sex couples can opt for either a religious or civil marriage ceremony, but civil partnership is an exclusively civil procedure.
However, in general, once your marriage is registered, your rights and responsibilities will be very similar to those applicable to married heterosexual partners.
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