Elton John, partner plan civil union

? Elton John says he and his partner, David Furnish, will tie the knot next month under Britain’s new civil union law.

The ceremony will be held Dec. 21, the effective date of the legislation creating partnerships to give gays many of the legal protections available to married heterosexuals.

“It’ll be a very small family affair, and then in the evening there’ll be a soiree somewhere, which we have yet to work out,” John told Attitude magazine in an interview released Thursday.

The only guests at the ceremony itself, he said, will be his parents and Furnish’s parents.

Furnish, a Canadian-born filmmaker, and John have been together for 12 years, and John has publicly credited Furnish with helping him to overcome addictions to alcohol and drugs. The pop star was previously married to studio technician Renate Blauel.

The new law, passed by Parliament last year, does not use the term “marriage,” but grants same-sex couples such benefits as rights to their partners’ pensions and exemption from paying inheritance tax on a partner’s home.