LESBIANS are more than twice as likely to split from their civil partners than gay men, new figures on gay divorce show.
Statistics show that since Civil Partnership was made legal in 2004, more than 50 couples have gone on to formally split up, with female couples two and a half times more likely to ‘divorce’ than male ones.
The most recent figures show that for around every 117 male couples who have tied the knot since civil partnerships became legal there is one relationship which has been dissolved, while one in every 45 partnerships between women has ended in a split.
Women have entered into more partnerships, with 1674 taking the plunge, compared to 1633 for men.
The first civil partnership to be dissolved in Scotland was between a male couple and occurred in 2007, the only one that year.
Since then women, have overtaken men will 11 dissolutions in 2008, 17 the following year and nine last year, making a total of 37 failed relationships.
By comparison three male couples split in 2008, seven in 2009 and three in 2010, totalling only 14 dissolutions.
Men initially embraced civil partnerships faster than women, with 53 male couples ‘marrying’ in 2005. By comparison only 31 female couples took the plunge.
However since 2007 more women have entered into civil partnerships each year than men.
In 2010 there was a drop for both genders in the number of civil partnerships
taking place. Men dropped by 10% from 219 to 197, while women dropped by 4% from 279 to 268.
The news comes as figures show that heterosexual marriage is on the rise, while at the same time divorce rates have fallen to their lowest point since 1981.
Marriage rates went from 27,524 in 2009 to 28,480 in 2010, a rise of 3.5%, while divorce dropped to 9,893 in 2010 from 10,371, a change of 4.5 % from the previous year.
Since 2007, when the first civil partnership dissolution took place, heterosexual divorce has decreased by 29% from 12,773 to 9,893 over the same period.
A spokesperson for Stonewall Scotland, a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity, refused to comment on the gender divide but said that each case should be treated on its individual merits.
She said: “It is unfortunate when committed relationships break down but every case is individual.”
Civil partnerships were made legal in 2004, with the first taking place in December 2005.
Homosexual couples have the same rights of property and next of kin and the same exemptions on inheritance tax as heterosexual couples but cannot term their union a marriage.
Dissolution can only occur after the couple have been in a civil partnership for at least one year.
