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British minister marries her lesbian partner
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by Sanjay Jha | September 30, 2008 at 01:37 am
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The India government is making up its mind on the issue of homosexuality and so far had contradictory stand. Indian government has contradicted its own health minister Anbumani Ramadoss’s views on legalising gay sex among consenting adults. The 148 year old law that criminalises gay sex, has been long and heated in India but a UK minister had married her lesbian partner.
As India still debates decriminalising homosexuality, a British minister has married her lesbian partner in a perfectly legal and socially accepted wedding ceremony. Treasury Minister Angela Eagle, 47, the only openly lesbian member of parliament in Britain, took part in a civil partnership ceremony with British Telecom engineer Maria Exall at a south London register office on Saturday.
Dressed in a white tailored jacket and black trousers, Eagle kissed her bride in front of the 50 or so guests.
"It's been great, everyone was very pleased and they are very much in love," said Eagle's twin sister Maria.
The marriage was made possible by legislation that grants new rights in areas such as employment, pensions and inheritance.
Civil partnerships, which have allowed same-sex couples in Britain to cement their relationship in law since 2005, give gay couples rights and responsibilities similar to married heterosexual couples.
Earlier this year, senior opposition MP Alan Duncan became the first parliamentarian to enter into a civil partnership.
Other notable figures who have entered civil partnerships include British pop star Elton John and his long-term partner, Canadian film maker David Furnish.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 01:37 on September 30th, 2008
at 04:11 on September 30th, 2008
Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff. Change has been really rapid in the UK! I remember when Tony Blair got in and we waited for some proper changes to lesbian/gay rights. And it came in a very ordinary way: it was no big deal since popular opinion was no longer really anti. (OK there is still harassment from time to time). I applaud the media, especially the soap operas over here, like East Enders. It has done a huge amount to make racial mixing appear matter-of-fact and normal as well as lesbians and gays seem boringly ordinary! But I guess tempers flare up in India because of religious sentiment - most of us Brits gave up on religion too and chose shopping and football instead!
at 22:36 on November 17th, 2008
its high time for indian government to take assertive stand on the issue of homosexuality. one must not forget that britain is the same country that had introduced the section 377 in the indian penal court that criminalize homosexuality, has now legalised gay marriage in its own country.