The Year of the Gay & Lesbian ?

[Gaylord]

From January 1, 2011 same-sex couples will be able to apply to the Civil Registrar to enter into a Civil Partnership

Commencement Orders for the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights of Cohabitants Act 2010.were signed today by the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD (pictured).

Speaking at the signing of the Commencement Orders, Kieran Rose, chair of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) said that "with this signing, the Minister is opening up a great and wide vista of futures, opportunities, celebrations and more secure futures for lesbian and gay couples".

Couples must give three months notice to the Civil Registrar before having a civil partnership ceremony, which means that the first Civil Partnership ceremonies are likely to occur in April.

The Minister also signed orders which will automatically recognise a wide range of foreign same-sex civil marriages and same-sex civil partnerships as Irish civil partnerships.

Same-sex couples who are already married or are civil partners through these recognised foreign relationships will be deemed civil partners in Ireland from early January.

The Minster stated, at the signing, that the changes to introduce civil partnership into the tax and social welfare codes also come into effect from January 1, 2011.

Is this the year of the GAY's & LESBIAN's?

GL