Sexual Orientation is defined under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulation 2003:
Orientation towards persons of the same sex (gay/lesbian)
Orientation towards persons of the opposite sex (heterosexual)
Orientation towards persons of the same sex and the opposite sex (bisexual)
More specific details can be found under this act. Other legislation covering this area includes Age of Consent for Gay Men 2001 and the Civil Partnership Act 2005. Legislation is designed to tackle goods, facilities and services discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people on grounds of their sexual orientation. The Equality Bill (2006) also includes power that allows Regulations to be made to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services and the execution of public functions.
Civil Partnerships
There were 18,059 civil partnerships formed in the UK between December 2005 and the end of December 2006. A total of 16,173 took place in England with 1,131 in Scotland, 627 in Wales and 128 in Northern Ireland. Almost 2,000 partnerships were formed in December 2005. On average, 1,600 partnerships were formed each month between January and March 2006, falling to 1,500 between April and September and 800 between October and December.
More men than women formed civil partnerships. In 2006, 60 per cent of all civil partners were male compared with 66 per cent in December 2005. Up to the end of 2006, 10 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women forming a civil partnership in the UK had been in a previous marriage. In 2006, 15 per cent of people entering a partnership in England had been in a previous marriage.
If you and your parner are living together or have entered a civil partnership please remeber that
same sex couples are now required to state this in the same way as heterosexual couples when claiming benefits. We work along side same sex couples to ensure this process is free from discrimination and their income is maximised through the welfare benefits system.
