An historic week

What a wonderfully historic week:

'Gay weddings' first for Belfast on Monday
Couples in partnership ceremonies in Scotland on Tuesday
and today in England, Sir Elton 'wedding' takes place (and no doubt many more, but less newsworthy(!), ceremonies)

marred only by some people who felt it acceptable to protest outside registry offices around the country. I understand their need and their right to have their feelings be heard but did they not think that it might be hurtful for those preparing to sign the register to have their special day intruded upon by placard holding protesters?

I know that this new legal status is officially known as a civil partnership but most people are already referring to them as marriages. I think the official name is in an effort not to offend those who view marriage in the biblical sense of one man and one woman joined in the eyes of god. What about all those who have their ceremonies in registry offices, by humanist celebrants, etc - they are non-religious and yet still called a marriage? But I digress, I find it quite amusing that most news stories, presumably for convenience, are referring to 'weddings' and 'marriages'. I wonder how long the quotation marks will stay before they are dropped and society as a whole recognises the civil partnership for what it is - a marriage between two loving and committed people.

As an aside, I also think it's lovely and perhaps uncharacteristically classy for Elton John and David Furnish to have had a private ceremony. That is surely a mark of how much it means to them both that they didn't want it plastered all over Hello or whatever.

Anyway, congratulations to all those who have signed and will be signing the new civil partnership register. I wish you the very best for a long and happy life together.

Happy Journeys.