Campaign couple are now equal partners
FOR years they wanted to have the same legal rights as a married couple without actually tying the knot.
Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan campaigned for opposite-sex civil partnerships to be allowed in and took their battle to the Supreme Court in London, arguing that a civil partnership felt more equal to them than a traditional marriage.
And yesterday morning they were among the first to celebrate their legal union, in a basic ceremony that cost just £46.
The pair registered their partnership at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office with daughters Eden, four, and twoyear-old Ariel by their side. They were also joined by parents and close friends.
They were among dozens of couples who made history yesterday by becoming Britain’s first heterosexual civil partners.
After their union, Ms Steinfeld, 38, said: ‘It feels fantastic on a personal and a political level. We are feminists and we see each other as civil partners.’
Mr Keidan, 43, added: ‘Against all odds, we succeeded in a legal battle against the Government, then they did what we asked for. Not many people can say that.’
The couple, who live in West London, had argued that denying a mixed-sex couple the right to a civil partnership was discriminatory.
In May, the panel of Supreme Court justices heard the case and held that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 was ‘incompatible’ with human rights laws.
The change of the law in England and Wales came into effect on December 2 and the first ceremonies took place yesterday.
The Scottish Government introduced new legislation allowing people of different sexes to be in a civil partnership in September.
The Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill has not yet become law but it is expected to begin its journey through parliament between now and May.