London lesbian
couple will not appeal marriage ruling

A lesbian couple announced in London Wednesday that they will not be going through the appeal process for legal recognition of their marriage. Celia Kitzinger, 50, and partner Sue Wilkinson, 52, who wed in Vancouver in 2003, said they can no longer financially afford challenging the British legal system, reports Bloomberg News. "We will continue to fight for equal marriage rights for ourselves and for other same-sex couples,'' the couple said in a statement. "As we cannot pursue a legal challenge, we will campaign in other ways instead." A British court rejected their case in July, ruling that Europeans view marriage as a means for procreation, where both "maternal and paternal" figures are present. The ruling added, "To accord a same-sex relationship the title and status of marriage would fail to recognize physical reality." (The Advocate)