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Lesbian couple make history
LESBIAN couple Anne Tierney and Lorraine Cameron will make history at 8am on Wednesday, December 21, when they form Calderdale's first civil partnership.
The Hebden Bridge couple, who have been together for nine years, will tie the legal knot at Calderdale Register Office, which will open especially early for the occasion.
They will mark the partnership with a champagne breakfast followed by a celebration with friends at the Mooch cafe in Hebden Bridge.
Anne, 44, a school improvement officer at Kirklees Council, said: "We'll be celebrating the change in law as much as our own partnership. It's fabulous that this change has happened. It's a huge step for gay men and lesbians in this country. It puts everyone on an equal footing."
Lorraine, 40, said when they heard about the change in legislation, they wanted to be the first couple in Calderdale to take the step.
"All the reports we'd seen about the forthcoming changes featured male couples," said Lorraine. "So we thought we'd like be the first in Calderdale."
The couple decided to take the step for legal reasons, particularly the next-of-kin issue - a concern close to Lorraine's heart as an associate director at Bradford Teaching Hospitals.
"Under the old system, we would not have been in a position to make a next-of-kin decison in the event of an operation or emergency surgery," said Lorraine.
"More than anybody else, I would rather Anne made important or life-changing decisions on my behalf. This gives us the same rights as heterosexual couples to do that.
"Also we have the same rights as far as pensions and inheritance tax go.
"It's been a very positive experience at Calderdale Register Office. They've been very helpful and given us all the information we needed."
Four more couples, two male and two female, have booked in for civil partnerships at the register office on December 21.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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