Straight couple to sue after being denied 'gay wedding'
A heterosexual London couple who were today refused a civil partnership said they will launch a legal challenge to the ruling.
Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, both 25, said they had been discriminated against because of their sexuality after being told civil partnerships were only available for gay couples.
They were given an official letter of refusal at Islington town hall today.
Mr Freeman, a civil servant, said: "We are here to challenge the ban which is part of the system of segregation that ends up discriminating against gay and straight couples.
"Plenty of straight couples don't want to get married and marriage rates are going down.
"In a democratic society, all institutions should be open to all people regardless of their sexuality.
"We're planning to take legal advice and we're willing to take this as far as the European Court of Human Rights." He added that two lawyers had been in touch to support their case and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell also backed the challenge.
Mr Tatchell said: "It's a clear act of discrimination. Just as it's wrong to discriminate against gay people, it's wrong to discriminate against heterosexual people.
"I'm hopeful we can find a way to challenge it."
Ms Doyle, also a civil servant, said the couple, who met at university, did not want to get married because they did not agree with separate ceremonies for gay and straight couples.
She said: "It's very important to us and we want to push it forward.
"We don't agree with marriage and therefore the only way we can, with any conscience, formalise our relationship is with a civil partnership. We have been refused access to a legal institution on the grounds of our sexuality. We are disappointed and saddened by this."
An Islington council spokesman said: "The law dictates that a civil partnership is only for couples of the same sex. The council must follow the law and so we have not been able to accept Mr Freeman and Ms Doyle's application for a civil partnership."
