IAN MCKELLEN - MCKELLEN ATTACKS CIVIL UNIONS

Actor SIR IAN MCKELLEN has attacked new British laws allowing homosexual couples to form civil unions as absurd, insisting they discriminate against both homosexual and heterosexual couples. The LORD OF THE RINGS star insists the UK government last year (05) passed a nonsensical law in a bid to avoid controversy. He maintains true equality will only be served if the same rules apply to any couple, regardless of their sexuality. MCKellen explains, "I really can't see why the government couldn't just say gay people can get married - that would have been true equality and so much simpler. "But that hasn't been done because they couldn't face the furore. So they've passed a law that is not available to straight people. "Straight people cannot have a civil partnership they have to get married. Extraordinary."