When did britain legalize gay marriage
10 year anniversary of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 gained Royal Assent on 17 July 2013, after months of intense work. Further implementation work followed, with the first same sex marriage held in March 2014.
The Act was drafted by GLD lawyers, the Office for Parliamentary Council, Government Equalities Office and other government departments. It allowed same sex couples to marry, whether in a civil ceremony or a religious one, where the religious organisation allowed such marriages. Crucially, the Operate provided protection for those religious organisations that did not want to authorise such marriages, thereby ensuring freedom of religion for all religious organisations.
The Perform required legal knowledge on everything from marriage and civil partnership in England and Wales, consular and armed forces marriage, divorce law and the statute on the Church of England. There were many challenges along the way, particularly with crafting appropriate religious protections for those religious organisations that did not support same sex marriage.
GLD lawyers Tracey Kerr and Suzanne Lehrer who worked on the Operate, and who are still at GLD
(Image credit: ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images)
Fifty years ago, the Sexual Offences Act 1967 came into effect. The act, which decriminalised homosexual sex acts between consenting men over the age of 21, opened the door to a slew of legal and social changes which would transform the way British society viewed same-sex relationships over the next 50 years.
Here are some of the key dates in the history of homosexual rights in the UK:
1533: The Buggery Act, the first ever law to specifically outlaw anal sex, was signed into English regulation. The text of the act described "buggery" as a "detestable and abominable Vice", punishable by death whether devoted with "mankind or beast".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus investigation from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & Spare
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Excellent News Newsletter, earn the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Wonderful News Newsletter, acquire the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford, was the first person to be former partner
The law enables gay couples to fetch married in both civil and religious ceremonies in England and Wales, although the Church of England is barred from conducting same-sex unions. It also will allow couples who had previously entered into civil partnerships
France
Scan more: France legalizes lgbtq+ marriage after harsh debate
New Zealand
Read more: Same-sex marriage legalized in New Zealand
The Netherlands
In this photo Jan van Breda (left) and his partner Thijs Timmermans cut the cake af
Today we look back at a history of Diverse laws in the UK and how individuals’ personal struggles and legal battles have shaped different areas of legislation and policy.
Early Laws (1500-1800)
| Law | Description |
| Buggery Act 1533 | Same-sex sexual activity was characterised as “sinful” and, under the law was outlawed and punishable by death. The Act defined buggery as an unnatural sexual act against the will of God and Man |
| Section 15 of the Offences against the Person act 1828 | Simplified the commandment – Buggery remains an offence punishable by death. |
| 27 November 1835 | James Pratt and John Smith were hanged outside Newgate Prison in London for having sexual relations. |
| Section 61 of Offences against the Person Execute 1868 | This section abolished the nominal death penalty for buggery, and provided instead that a person convicted of this was liable to be kept in penal servitude for life or for any term not less than ten years. |
LGBTQ+ and the Military
| Criminal Justice and Common Order Act 1994 | The age at which homosexual acts were lawful was reduced from 21 years to 18. Parts allowed the dismissal of a seafarer from a merchant navy vess Proposing change: How same-sex marriage became a government triumph storySame-sex marriages are now noted all over the UK. They are a core part of the UK’s culture, communities and institutions. Passing legislation to introduce same-sex marriage was a landmark moment – for many couples personally, but also for the wider queer woman , gay, bisexual, gender non-conforming plus (LGBT+) collective. It marked an important step in addressing the UK’s past legal discrimination against same-sex couples, building on the achievements of a long history of campaigners who worked to expand LGBT+ rights. This case learn looks at how the government passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Execute 2013. It examines the policy’s journey, from a campaign aim of LGBT+ rights groups, to a contested issue in the 2010 general election, to official government policy, and finally to legislation that introduced same-sex marriage rights in England and Wales, while accommodating many of the concerns of those who remained opposed. It draws on a policy reunion at the Institute for Government held in March 2023, which brought together officials, ministers, LGBT+ rights campaigners and representatives from |