Lecture
Civil partnership (also civil union , home partnership , internal partnership , registered partnership , etc.) is a state-recognized social institution in which the relations of two people who are unwilling or unable to register a marriage can be legitimized. As a rule, this opportunity is provided to same-sex couples, but in some countries, same-sex couples can also register their relationship in this way. The specific terminology for such unions varies from state to state. The legal consequences of their conclusion are not the same. Officially registered civil partnerships should not be confused with unregistered de facto marital relations, as well as same-sex civil partnerships with same-sex marriages.
In different countries, the categories of persons entitled to enter into civil partnerships may differ. Initially, the right to enter into a civil partnership was granted only to same-sex couples. In this case, civil partnerships are a parallel social institution created specifically for same-sex couples who do not have the right to marry under the law. In many countries that legalized same-sex marriages, civil partnerships for same-sex couples were an intermediate step to marital equality. After the opening of access to marriage for same-sex couples, the conclusion of civil partnerships is usually terminated, and previously concluded unions can be converted into marriages.
In the second group of countries, civil partnerships are available to both same-sex and multi-sex couples. At the same time, a heterosexual couple is given the choice between entering into a marriage and registering a civil union, which in the legal sense is usually a facilitated alternative to marriage. Same-sex couples in these countries may or may not have the legal possibility of marriage. Therefore, they either have the opportunity to choose between marriage and partnership, or they can only enter into partnerships, but not marriages.
In France, the institution of civic partnership, introduced in 1999 mainly for the legal recognition of same-sex couples, was rapidly gaining popularity. This is due to the fact that heterosexual couples increasingly began to enter into civil partnerships. So, in 2000, of all couples who entered into a partnership, 76% were heterosexual couples, and in 2010 their share reached 96%. In 2000, 22,271 partnerships and 305,234 marriages were concluded, and in 2010, 2,05550 partnerships and 2,51654 marriages (INSEE data) were concluded. [1] If this trend continues, in the near future, civil partnership will become more popular than marriage.
“I don't want to ask her: will you form a civil union with me?”
In countries where same-sex couples have the opportunity to enter into civil partnerships, but are denied the right to marry, some LGBT activists (including homosexual couples) often reject such partnerships because of their unequal status with civil marriages [2]. In addition, some homosexuals do not want to enter into partnership for ideological reasons, comparing the existence of separate institutions for registering relationships for same-sex and opposite-sex couples with racial segregation [3] and feeling discrimination in this division [4]. There are also situations where joining a same-sex partnership is fraught with negative consequences. For example, in Germany, persons who have entered into same-sex partnership are immediately subject to dismissal if their employer is the Catholic Church, under whose roof more than 1.3 million people work in more than 100 professions [5]. Nevertheless, the general statistics of concluded partnerships in Germany is characterized by an annual increase in the absolute number of new unions, despite the fact that they are still not equal in the legal sense with heterosexual marriages [4].
However, many same-sex couples tend to legitimize their relationship. As shown, for example, by Thomas Hertling's research published in Germany in 2011, about 19.7% of respondents (homosexual men) who have a regular partner decided to register their relations in the form of a civil union. Only 15.6% completely rejected such an option. In addition, 59.1% of respondents said that they would have entered into a partnership if, by law, it was equated with marriage in financial matters. About 35.4% of respondents said they would conclude an alliance if he allowed them to adopt a child [6].
LGBT activists draw attention to the fact that creating special legislation for laws on same-sex couples (laws on civil partnerships) creates a situation in which same-sex couples are registered according to other legislation than heterosexuals in marriage, creating symbolic discrimination, even if there is no actual discrimination and civic partnerships are fully equal in rights with opposite-sex marriages.
At the same time, opponents of same-sex marriage may agree to legalize civil unions, until they are called marriages, explaining that marriage is traditionally a union of a man and a woman. In some countries, this understanding of marriage is defined in the constitution, so for same-sex couples, at best, only civil partnership is possible.
On the other hand, civil partnerships are often criticized also because of the inaccessibility of this institution to couples in some countries. For example, in the UK, supporters of civil partnerships, including heterosexual couples who reject traditional marriage, have for several years tried to achieve the right of heterosexual couples to enter into civil partnerships [7].
A country | Introduction date (and liquidation) |
Single. couples |
Diff. couples |
Article |
---|---|---|---|---|
Denmark | October 1, 1989 - June 15, 2012 | one) | Same-sex marriage in Denmark | |
Iceland | January 1, 1991 | 2), 3) | Civil unions in Iceland | |
Norway | August 1, 1993 - January 1, 2009 | one) | Same-sex marriage in Norway | |
Sweden | January 1, 1995 - May 1, 2009 | one) | Same-sex marriage in Sweden | |
Greenland | July 1, 1996 - April 1, 2016 | one) | Same-sex marriage in Denmark | |
Netherlands | January 1, 1998 | 3) | See Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands. | |
France | November 16, 1999 | 3) | Civil Solidarity Treaty | |
Belgium | January 1, 2000 | 3) | Legal Cohabitation in Belgium | |
Germany | August 1, 2001 | Civil partnerships in Germany | ||
Finland | March 1, 2002 - March 1, 2017 | one) | Registration of same-sex couples in Finland | |
Luxembourg | November 1, 2004 | 3) | See Same-sex marriage in Luxembourg | |
Andorra | March 23, 2005 | Civil partnerships in Andorra | ||
Great Britain | December 5, 2005 | four) | Civil partnerships in the UK | |
Czech | July 1, 2006 | Civil partnerships in the Czech Republic | ||
Slovenia | July 23, 2006 | Registering same-sex couples in Slovenia | ||
Switzerland | January 1, 2007 | Swiss civil partnerships | ||
Greece | November 26, 2008 | five) | Civil partnerships in Greece | |
Hungary | July 1, 2009 | Same-sex unions in Hungary | ||
Austria | January 1, 2010 | Civil partnerships in Austria | ||
Ireland | January 1, 2011 - November 16, 2015 | one) | Same-sex marriage in Ireland | |
Isle Of Man | April 6, 2011 | 6) | Civil partnerships in the UK | |
Liechtenstein | September 1, 2011 | Civil partnerships in Liechtenstein | ||
Jersey | April 2, 2012 | Civil partnerships in the UK | ||
Gibraltar | March 28, 2014 | Civil partnerships in the UK | ||
Malta | April 14, 2014 | Malta Civil Partnerships | ||
Croatia | August 5, 2014 | Same-sex unions in Croatia | ||
Andorra | December 25, 2014 | Civil partnerships in Andorra | ||
Cyprus | December 9, 2015 | Cyprus Civil Partnerships | ||
Estonia | January 1, 2016 | Estonian Civil Partnerships | ||
Italy | June 5, 2016 | Civic partnerships in Italy |
Notes to the table:
1) In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Greenland, new civil partnerships in connection with the legalization of same-sex marriage are no longer registered.
2) In Iceland, same-sex couples can enter into civil unions (isl. Óvígð sambúð) only from June 27, 2006.
3) In Iceland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France, currently same-sex couples also have the opportunity to marry.
4) In England, Wales and Scotland, same-sex marriages are also registered.
5) Same-sex couples in Greece gained access to the conclusion of civil partnerships only from January 2016.
6) Gender couples on the Isle of Man were given the opportunity to enter into civil partnerships from 2016.
In all states, same-sex marriage is legalized. In addition, the following states recognize various forms of civil partnerships:
Same-sex unions in Australia
There is no federal law in Australia that legalizes any form of same-sex unions. However, in all states and territories of Australia various forms of same-sex unions are legalized.
State or territory | Official status | Introduction year |
---|---|---|
AST | Civil Partnership / Civil union | 2008/2012 |
N.S.W. | Registered relationship | 2010 |
Northern Territory | Unregistered cohabitation | - |
Queensland | Registered relationship | 2012 |
South Australia | Domestic Partnership (Agreement) | 2007 |
Tasmania | Significant relationship | 2004 |
Victoria | Domestic relationship | 2008 |
Western Australia | Unregistered cohabitation | - |
Country or region | Year of introduction (and liquidation) | Single. couples |
Diff. couples |
Article |
---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina, Buenos Aires | 2002 | one) | Civic partnerships in argentina | |
Argentina, Rio Negro | 2003 | one) | Civic partnerships in argentina | |
Argentina | 2015 | one) | Civic partnerships in argentina | |
Brazil | 2003 | 12) | Sustainable Alliances in Brazil | |
Canada, Nova Scotia | 2001 | one) | Canadian Civic Partnerships | |
Canada, Quebec | 2002 | one) | Canadian Civic Partnerships | |
New Zealand | 2005 | one) | Civil unions in New Zealand | |
South Africa | 2006 | one) | Civil unions in South Africa | |
Mexico, Mexico | 2006 | 3) | See Same-sex Marriages in Mexico | |
Mexico, Coahuila | 2007 | 3) | See Same-sex Marriages in Mexico | |
Mexico, Colima | 2013 - 2016 | four) | Same-sex marriage in Mexico | |
Colombia | 2007 | See Registering Same-Sex Couples in Colombia | ||
Uruguay | 2008 | one) | See Same-sex marriage in Uruguay | |
Ecuador | 2015 | Civil partnerships in Ecuador | ||
Chile | 2015 | Civil unions in Chile |
Notes to the table:
1) Throughout Argentina, Brazil and Canada, as well as in New Zealand, South Africa, Uruguay and Colombia, same-sex marriages are registered.
2) In Brazil, same-sex couples have been able to register civil partnerships since 2011.
3) In Mexico City, as well as in Coahuila, Colima and other states of Mexico, same-sex marriages are registered.
4) New civil partnerships in connection with the legalization of same-sex marriages are no longer concluded.
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Interpersonal relationships
Terms: Interpersonal relationships