INFO:

March 2024 marks ten years since the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in England and Wales came into force (after being passed in July 2013) – the first same-sex marriages took place on 29 March 2014. Same-sex marriage was also passed by the Scottish parliament in February 2014 through the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014, received royal assent on 12 March 2014, and came into effect on 16 December 2014, with Scottish same sex couples able to tie the knot from then. Northern Ireland followed suit in 2019. The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019 were signed by Secretary of State Julian Smith on 19 December 2019 and came into effect on 13 January 2020. It seems both mind-boggling that same-sex marriage has only been legal in England, Scotland and Wales for a decade, but it also hardly feels like any time at all has passed since the hard work that went into passing these laws: hard work that it is important to remember, especially in the current anti-LGBTQ+ climate. March 2014 saw the very first same sex weddings take place in England and Wales, a moment of huge celebration. Peter McGraith and David Cabreza from north London had been partners for 17 years before they tied the knot at one-minute past midnight on 29 March 2014, making them the first same-sex couple to marry in the UK after the passing of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was a witness at the wedding. David Cabreza said: “We are thrilled to be getting married. It is a mark of significant social progress in the UK that the legal distinction between gay and straight relationships has been removed.” Writing for PinkNews to mark the introduction of same sex marriage, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Any marriage takes work, requires patience and understanding, give and take – but what it gives back in terms of love, support, stability and happiness is immeasurable. That is not something that the State should ever deny someone on the basis of their sexuality. When people’s love is divided by law, it is the law that needs to change.”