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As the first UK civil partnership ceremonies take place in Belfast, not everyone is happy about this change in the law. Religious groups campaign against what they describe as a 'day of shame', while heterosexual common-law couples feel they have been discriminated against by not receiving identical benefits as same-sex couples, who can register their civil partnerships.

Technically, the first civil partnership registration in the UK was held on 5 December 2005 between Christopher Cramp and Matthew Roche, who were allowed to forego the usual 15-day waiting period as Roche was terminally ill (and, in fact, he lost his battle with lung cancer the following day). As seen in this report, Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles were the first couple to register their civil partnership after the waiting period.

This programme contains language and views that some may find offensive.

From the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Archives. Originally broadcast 19 December 2005