Funny - they don't look Druish."
Posted on 12/23/2005 9:05:18 AM PST by dukeman
Two druid priests yesterday became the first North Wales same-sex couple to tie the knot in a so-called gay wedding.
Seven couples across the region took part in the historic ceremonies.
And one wedding guest said if the controversial partnerships were introduced earlier, an inheritance tax legal battle after his partner of 48 years died, could have been avoided.
The first North Wales ceremony was held in T£ Dewi Sant, Wrexham, between Philip Main, 49, and David Girvan, 52.
The keen druids both dressed in white robes for the 10am ceremony - which fell on the winter solstice, also a special day for druids.
Later at Abergele's register office two men were finally united after a 33-year relationship.
Former local government worker Richard Thomas and his partner Ralph Higgs, an ex-British Aerospace engineer, welcomed the changes.
The Rhos on Sea couple held a formal, 10-minute ceremony at 11am with only two witnesses and two registry officials in attendance.
After the ceremony Richard, 56, said: "This change has been a long time coming. But in some cases, it really is better late than never.
"Before this Labour government, Clause 28 [banning promotion of homosexual material] was passed. We are only eight or nine years down the line, and yet it is totally different now.
"We have always felt like second-class citizens, so to have equality is fantastic.
"It is extremely important for people to go for these civil partnerships. Our forebears - all gay and lesbian people - have fought for this. And many of them will never see what they fought for."
Ralph, 67, added: "Before this, we knew of people whose partners' families had made life very unpleasant for them after the partner's death because of the lack of rights.
"If the partner was in hospital, the other partner wasn't allowed in there. The person who cared for the partner didn't have the right to go in and make the decision for the partner.
"It is important now for people to get registration and show society that they are here. We are no different."
One wedding witnesses, Curtis Dalton of Llandudno, last year lost his male partner.
It meant Curtis was involved in a long legal battle which saw him pay out around £100,000 in property tax on two houses.
Curtis said: "I hoped it would come through in time but it didn't. He fell ill three years ago, and as he ebbed away, the changes were coming through.
"In the aftermath of his death, it made a big difference to me financially, but it made no difference to our relationship."
Louise Edwards, superintendent registrar in Abergele, said: "It is a historic day - as historic as when women got the vote."
Richard, who later celebrated the union with Ralph and friends at Bodysgallen Hall, added: "It amazes me how 'anti' people are.
"We are born this way. We never asked to be this way."
Wouldn't this be the anthesis of pagan 'Fertility Rites'?
What is it with all the GAY threads today?.........
They're all coming out for the solstice.
Gay druid weddings? I don't even know where to go with that.
Real Druids wouldn't permit this.
"Honey, we simply MUST find ourselves a nice toasty spot in a lower bolgia...."
Yeah, that's something like a triple or quadruple whammy, isn't it?
Seems like all the old pagan religions continue to be on the upswing, including my old favorite heresy, mohammedanism.
Well, for the rest of us whose faith remains the basis for Western Civilization, let's hope this sad and tragic story exemplifying the ongoing cult of death goes the way of Druidism did originally, that is, into the dumpster.
Double-wacko wedding!
The freaks of the world reign supreme...barf bucket please.
That's why I never read British news. It's always about gay druids getting married and eating pudding.
Good plan!
The only thing I like about reading news stories from the UK is that they always have the most interesting names for their towns.
This is what happens when you get your religion from Ye Olde Renaissance Faire carnies, or their British equivalents.
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