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FAQ - Civil Partnerships and your right to privacy

1. Will our names and addresses be made public when we register?

• The first 'bands' with the names of the civil partners will have been placed at Council sites from 5th December. Unlike for heterosexual couples these 'bands' will not give individual addresses, only name, age and occupation. However, the 'bands' will name the register office and date of civil partnership registration. It is possible that not having an address listed will make it obvious that it is a civil partnership and not a heterosexual civil ceremony.
  
• When the civil partnership ceremony has taken place couples can have either a full certificate, which shows all the details of the civil partnership including address (es), or an extract which does not show your address (es). This maybe available as a public record.

2. What's the likelihood of a media presence outside register offices on the first day?

• Civil Partnerships will be headline news and there is a possibility that you may be approached for an interview or photograph on the day. If you are approached and you do not want to participate you should state clearly to the journalist that you do not want your details, or details of the ceremony, to be published.

3. Can journalists take photos without my consent?

• Photographs of your big day are not in the public interest and to publish them without your permission raises issues of 'invasion of privacy.' If you do not want to have your photograph taken you should make that clear to the journalist. If you see a journalist taking a 'crowd shot' you will need to speak to the journalist and tell them that you do not want to be in the shot. If you have any further concerns you can raise them with the registrar.

4. After the Registration we will be moving on to another venue for a celebration. Should we be concerned about how we will be treated?

• If you are at all concerned it is advisable to speak to the manager at the venue about the nature of your celebration. Should you encounter any difficulty you can tell us via our 'Give us the Goods' campaign. By 'Giving us the Goods' on your experiences you can help us lobby for improved services for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Wales. We will 'report' your experiences, anonymously if you prefer, to National Assembly Members, or write letters of complaint or congratulations to the local authorities and public/private service providers you have told us about. We will 'round up' experiences and discuss them on the website so everyone can see what issues face our communities. Click here for more details.