Starting at midnight March 29, 2014, same-sex couples can be legally married in England and Wales. The measure was passed last summer and now, finally, the marriages can take place.
Starting at midnight March 29, 2014, same-sex couples can be legally married in England and Wales. The measure was passed last summer and now, finally, the marriages can take place.
Couples were able to officially register their marriages March 13 and are eagerly awaiting the stroke of midnight (tonight!) to say their “I dos.”
Emma Powell and Sarah Keith, both residents of Brighton, England, are going to be one of the first couples to marry at midnight. Their battle for marriage equality has been one not only of love, but also of principle. Having met 11 years ago, they have been campaigning for marriage equality ever since. “I suppose civil partnership was always a good step in right direction,” stated Powell, “but I don’t think true equality exists until we have exactly the same rights. Separate but equal never really worked for me—it made you feel like a second-class citizen.”
The two women are thrilled that they can legally wed, as they’re planning on moving next month and starting a new life together.
Couples like Keith and Powell aren’t the only citizens who are thrilled with the timing of the new law. Both Christian and Jewish leaders have expressed their happiness, stating that they will “rejoice” with the introduction of same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom. In a letter signed by the Bishop of Buckingham, multiple people of faith exclaimed their joy.
“As persons of faith, we welcome this further development in our marriage law, which has evolved over the centuries in response to changes in society and in scientific knowledge,” they wrote. “We acknowledge that some—though not all—of the faith organisations to which we belong do not share our joy, and continue to express opposition in principle to such marriages. We look forward to the time, sooner rather than later, when all people of faith will feel able to welcome this development.”
Photo: Wikipedia
