Petition Retain the terms "husband" and "wife" in all our laws

This week, MPs approved sweeping changes to legislation dating back as far as 1285AD to avoid unintended consequences of the Marriage (Same Sex) Couples Act 2013. A committee of MPs voted in favour of a draft order outlining amendments to 36 Acts going back to 1859 and an additional 67 pieces of legislation dating back 729 years. Under the proposals, references to mother, father, husband and wife would be amended. "Partner" and "spouse" would be added in order to recognise a greater diversity of relationships but "husband" and "wife" would be removed. Removal of these terms may amount to "heterophobia", which is not the intent. It would also incur unnecessary cost.

We call upon the government to retain the terms "husband" and "wife" alongside "partner" and "spouse" in all relevant contexts in all 36 Acts and all 67 pieces of legislation. We demand the right to continue to be recognised in law as husbands and wives, alongside all lawful recognition of "partners" and "spouses".