Growing up, Lisa never thought she would get married. As a gay woman, she did not even think a wedding was a possibility. Then, in 2014, same-sex couples in England and Wales finally won the right to be legally married. Lisa and her partner, Tracey, were among the first to do so.
The Liberal Democrat politician Lynne Featherstone tells Hannah Moore why she championed marriage equality during the coalition government. She remembers with shock some of the comments that were made about what the consequences of the change would be and explains opposition from religious critics of the bill.
Ten years on, the Church of England still does not perform same-sex weddings, although it will allow blessings. Father Jarel Robinson-Brown explains why, as a gay Christian, he has found that so difficult and what it has meant to move to the Church of Wales, which is working towards marriage equality.
Peter McGraith got married just after midnight on the first day that same-sex marriage became legal. He is not a fan of the institution but says equal marriage was nevertheless an important step towards full equality, while Lisa and Tracey reflect on how, to a younger generation, the controversy about equal marriage looks ‘daft’.
Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
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