So this happened today. Presumably a civil partnership is similar to a French PACS?
Are any of you pacsé as opposed to married?
What distinguishes a civil partnership from a civil marriage (apart from the fact that it was designed so that same-sex people could enjoy the same protections and have the same obligations to each other as in civil marriage)?
I wasn’t aware that same sex couple couldn’t marry in a registry office.
My wife and I had a civil marriage in Zambia, it is recognised as having the same validity as a UK one, and in France too. It was conducted in the boma, which was originally the administrative centre for non-white (native) affairs, under a large baobab tree.
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I don’t really know the difference.
Same sex couples can get married (in a registry office or church or elsewhere) or can have civil partnership whereas straight couples can only get married.
I’m not really sure why anyone would object to getting married but obviously these people do. Unless, of course, they just bought the case to make a point about equality.
France is ahead of the game… PACS and Marriage… any couple can do it… yippee… no difference…
However, the details/outcome of Marriage re Pension Reversion etc is very different to PACS … 
So, as always… read the small print… 
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Yes I did a bit of research on this. France was way ahead of the UK. PACS started in 1999 and was always available for all couples regardless of sexual orientation although intended for same sex couples.
France is remarkably forward-thinking in some respects…
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Well, I found this which may explain the “why”
What is entailed in a civil partnership?
Legal and financial protection for both parties in the event of the relationship ending
It is free of the religious connotations of marriage
Some object to marriage as an institution and its associations with property and patriarchy.
Yes, Chris, you are almost certainly right: I sort of reckoned it might be about that side of marriage, the patriarchy side of thing, wife taking husband’s name etc. Lots of modern couples think in terms of a relationship of autonomous equals, with many shared objectives and purposes, but with scope for as much divergance as they can agree and be comfortable with.
For example sharing some meals, but having the freedom to eat their preferred food and at preferred times, or not, as the case may happily be.
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Yet again the UK government has got it wrong.
It is totally obvious to anyone that civil marriage should be there for couples whatever their sexual orientation.
It is horrifying that this ruling will not change the law.
I applaud this couple for their persistence.
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i was married by my mayor here in france and it as not religious. My mum and dad also were married but it was not a religious ceremony.
For me this is a couple just out to get equality. Maybe not but thats what it screams to me.
How nice that you got married in France Harry.
For folk who may not be aware… the only “legal” Marriage in France is the Civil Ceremony performed by the Maire or his Deputy…
A church ceremony may follow, if so desired …either later the same day or on a later convenient date… but that church wedding is not a Legal Wedding…
that is why we opted for France.
Sorry Harry… why did you opt for France??
In UK it would be Registry Office rather than Mairie… or Church if wished… either is Legal Wedding in UK…
besides the fact there is zero religious bullcrap around it? no other reason.
Sorry Harry, you have lost me…
yes which is why this couple are just doing it as far as im concerned to prove a point.
My wife is french, my children are french, we live permanently in France so to go to England to become married would just have been pointless. Plus all of our closest friends are here in France and everyone who was invited attended.
Sorry, Harry… of course it makes sense to marry in France… you lost me … it seemed you had chosen France for … zero religion… but I was clearly getting the wrong end of the stick…
I’ve been involved in many French Weddings at the Mairie… and some in Church… all have been joyous affairs… 
