A charity promoting equality for same-sex couples in Jersey fears gay skilled workers could leave the island if their partnerships are not recognised.

Jersey Community Relations Trust claims the island is trailing behind other countries, such as the UK, in creating equality for gay and lesbian couples.

At the moment same-sex couple in Jersey do not have the same rights as conventional married couples.

The States is to discuss the subject of civil partnerships in the autumn.

In a bid to highlight the need for recognising civil partnerships in Jersey, the trust has set up a register on its website to record the numbers of gay and lesbian people in the island who want the opportunity to enter into or have their partnership recognized there.

Valuable skills

The register was only launched at the start of August but already 54 people have signed it, declaring they would like to be given the legal right to a civil partnership in Jersey.

Kirsten Spary, executive officer for the trust, said: "A lot of highly skilled workers in Jersey, including senior lawyers, have signed the register.

"However, if they want to enter civil partnerships they may choose to leave the island and that would be a great shame because they provide an invaluable service to islanders and in turn help boost the local economy.

"We also know of Jersey-born people who are already in civil partnerships who are living off the island and would love to come back but won't consider it if their relationship and rights as a same-sex couple will not be recognised."

The Civil Partnerships Act was passed in England and Wales four years ago.

Courtesy of the BBC