Unreasonable stress is being placed on same-sex and defacto families with the failure of the law to recognise their relationships, says Relationship Services. "In our work we see the distress and grief when someone, in either a defacto or same-sex relationship, is refused access to their partner in intensive care, or denied access to children they have been raising because they have no legal parental rights; or in any of a myriad of other situations where their primary couple relationship is denied," said Chief Executive Jeff Sanders. "While these situations may not occur every day, the fact that they can occur is unacceptable." Relationship Services, formerly Marriage Guidance, provides counselling to thousands of couples each year. In its submission to the Select Committee on civil unions on Wednesday the agency welcomed the proposed legislation as it recognised the diversity of relationships that exist in society and supported and encouraged stable and committed relationships. Sanders told the Committee that the lack of legal recognition had contributed to both social and legal injustices for defacto and same-sex couples and their children. Many defacto and same-sex couples coming to Relationship Services felt keenly the absence of legal and social recognition of their relationships, the impact of which was wide-ranging. Examples included a man who was refused entry to the hospital where his step-son lay ill, until his defacto partner, who had been out of town, personally confirmed their relationship. In another a gay man was refused both bereavement and unpaid leave to go to the tangi of his partner's mother.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Friday, 3rd September 2004 - 12:00pm