Heterosexual couple launch legal challenge to get a civil partnership

A heterosexual couple who want a civil partnership have started legal proceedings, just months after the Government rejected the idea.

Charles Keidan and Rebecca Steinfeld believe marriage has “sexist trappings”. They have given notice of a judicial review against their local council, Kensington and Chelsea, and are also petitioning Nicky Morgan over the issue.

Steinfeld said the couple is seeking “a social institution that will express how we see each other”.

“Our objection to marriage is partly to do with its history, a union in which women were exploited for their domestic and sexual services. There are still sexist trappings to weddings: there’s only space for the father to sign on the registry form”, she added.

Tory MP Tim Loughton is also bringing forward a Private Members’ Bill which would allow heterosexual civil partnerships.

In June, a Department for Culture Media and Sport report showed that over three quarters of the respondents to a consultation it ran disagreed with opposite-sex civil partnerships.

The Government has previously acknowledged that bringing in such unions would cost £3-4 billion in public service pensions alone.

It was only in April this year that we said bringing in heterosexual civil partnerships as an alternative to marriage would further undermine marriage, but already we’re seeing this couple attempting to do just that.