The Equality Act 2006 provides for regulations to be made prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, services, facilities, education and premises, and sexual orientation regulations (SORs) have been in effect in Northern Ireland since 1 January 2007. They came into effect in the rest of the UK on 30 April 2007.

Under the SORs it is not unlawful for charities set up for people of a specific sexual orientation to provide services only to that group, and any provider can offer persons of a particular sexual orientation access to goods, facilities or services to meet their specific educational or welfare needs.

The regulations include exceptions for religious organisations carrying out purely faith-based activities, such as weddings and religious training, or “to avoid conflicting with the strongly held religious convictions of a significant number of the religion’s followers”. It remains to be seen how this will be interpreted by the courts. But discrimination is not allowed for services provided by a religious body under a contract with a public authority. Faith-based voluntary adoption and fostering agencies have until 31 December 2008 to comply.

To read the legislation, click here.