Fridae

Sir Elton John and his partner of 12 years, David Furnish, are among some , 687 couples to "wed" on the first day gay marriage has become legal in England and Wales.

Dubbed the celebrity wedding of the year in the UK, John and his Canadian-born filmmaker partner tied the knot in a "private and low-key" civil partnership ceremony with the couple's parents acting as witnesses.

The 53-year-old star said: "They've been so fantastic to us and so supportive. Out of respect for their support we want to just keep it small, not to make a ballyhoo of the ceremony."

"I'm sure this is going to be an incredibly emotional day," he said in an interview in the gay Attitude magazine in November.

The singer with a reputation of being flamboyant and extravagant will throw a lavish party - as expected of him - for 700 guests the same evening at his mansion near Windsor. The �1 million (US$1.75 million) party is expected to be attended by a host of celebrities including former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and singer George Michael.

The couple has however said that their marriage is more than a celebration. The pair is one of hundreds of same-sex couples to take advantage of new laws allowing gay civil partnerships in the UK which accords many of the legal protections available to married heterosexuals.

John said forming a civil partnership with his partner would "the happiest day of my life," however he added that he feels "sorry for the many gay couples who live in countries that prohibit such unions."

He wrote in the UK Observer, a Sunday newspaper: "It has been a long struggle for equal rights for gay people in Britain, but now, in the 21st century, we have real civil rights, tolerance and final acceptance of our lives.

"Next Wednesday, on the happiest day of my life, when I celebrate a civil partnership with David, I will be thinking, however, about those less fortunate than we are. In many countries, having a same-sex partner is still outlawed."

Quoting Amnesty International, John said an estimated 80 countries still have laws that criminalise adult same-sex relations. He also cited specific cases of abuse in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Jamaica, Uganda, Iraq and Poland.

He wrote: "Throughout history, gay people such as myself and David have often been made scapegoats by those who fear that we are a threat to the status quo. I strongly believe we can make a difference if we show solidarity with those who are bullied and ill-treated for their sexuality by bombarding the authorities with letters, faxes and emails making it clear that we know about these abuses and calling for them to end. Amnesty International has found that shining this kind of spotlight on human rights abusers really does work.

"While David and I enjoy and celebrate our freedom on Wednesday, we do not forget our brothers and sisters who still live in fear."

Wednesday is the first day same-sex couples can "wed" in England, two days after they began in Northern Ireland. The new civil partnership law gives same-sex couples the same property and inheritance rights as married heterosexuals and entitles them to the same pension, immigration and tax benefits although the partnership is not technically a marriage, a decision made by the British government to avoid potential opposition.
The procedure is an exclusively civil one in Britain, with the partners merely signing documents, whereas a marriage becomes binding when partners exchange spoken words in a civil or religious ceremony.

While some gay rights campaigners are happy with the move, some have however hit out at the decision.

"By legislating a two-tier system of relationships, Labour (government) has, in effect, created a form of legal apartheid based on sexual orientation," Peter Tatchell of the OutRage! group wrote on his website.