RantCrush Top 5: February 22, 2017

A heterosexual couple in London just lost a court battle over whether they could have a civil partnership instead of a marriage. Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan appealed a previous ruling that concluded that they didn’t meet the legal requirements, as they are not a same-sex couple. This time, the judges admitted that the previous decision could violate their human rights, but still said that the government would need more time to consider what civil partnerships can look like in the future.

At Royal Courts of Justice to find out if this couple have won the right to have a civil partnership. They’ve campaigned for 3yrs. pic.twitter.com/i8acOFOyYd

— Joe Tidy (@joetidy) February 21, 2017

Many people choose not to get married out of principle but still want to secure legal recognition of their relationship. Currently, only same-sex couples can enter into a civil partnership in Britain. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell described the ruling as “a defeat for love and equality” and said it is wrong that homosexual couples have two options, while heterosexual couples only have one.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.