Britain's Queen speaks of same-sex couple rights

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 27, 2003

Britain's Queen speaks of same-sex couple rights

Queen Elizabeth II of England opened Parliament on Wednesday by announcing that MPs will debate the issue of civil partnerships for same-sex couples in the coming session.

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Queen Elizabeth II of England opened Parliament on Wednesday by announcing that MPs will debate the issue of civil partnerships for same-sex couples in the coming session.

In her annual speech, in which she outlines the key bills from the government, the queen said the bill would help increase social justice across England and Wales.

"My government will maintain its commitment to increased equality and social justice by bringing forward legislation on the registration of civil partnerships between same-sex couples," she told the House of Lords.

The majority of gay and civil rights groups were celebrating the announcement on Wednesday, with Stonewall releasing a statement saying the pledge is a "hugely significant milestone."

Chief executive Ben Summerskill added that, on behalf of the organization, he was "delighted."

"Hundreds of thousands of gay couples have undergone real suffering because the law does not recognize their long-term relationships," he said. "It remains shocking that same-sex couples, some in relationships decades long, have been deprived until now of basic rights such as the ability to share a pension or register a partner's death."

However, Summerskill warned that the fight for equality is not over yet, expressing a widely held fear that despite the good intentions of MPs, the House of Lords may prove to be an obstacle to the bill becoming law.

He said the "main anxiety" came from the Lords' "willingness in the past to frustrate fair treatment for gay people."

"We hope the government will move swiftly so that this injustice can be righted as soon as possible," he said, adding that the group also hopes "that peers will back a move long overdue in a 21st century nation."

But the Queen's Speech was met with dismay by some gay groups, who were hoping that the government would alter what they see as a major fault in the bill.

Source: Agencies

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