THEGAYUK

Tag: Gay Marriage

All the latest breaking news on gay and same-sex marriage. Browse The THEGAYUK’s complete collection of features, articles and updates on gay and same-sex marriage.

  • Russell Tovey has romance news

    Russell Tovey has made a romantic announcement.

    Looking star, Russell Tovey and his fitness coach boyfriend, Steve Brockman have just got engaged.

    Confirming to Digital Spy, Russell Tovey confirmed that the pair got engaged over the weekend – and Steve was the one to do the asking.

    He said, “Completely unexpected but very very happy and looking forward to having a proper party to celebrate when back in London.”

    Tovey is currently living in New York, US while he is filming the third series of Quantico.

    Congrats guys!!!

  • Blackpool Tower did something amazing for this couple’s proposal

    Get your hanky ready…

    Darren and Daniel got engaged yesterday, on Valentine’s nights in front of the world’s famous Blackpool Tower. The couple, Darren, 30 and Daniel, 18 spent the day at their favourite seaside town, before Darren got down on one knee and proposed to his now fiance.

    To celebrate the happy couple’s good news, The Blackpool Tower turned the lights to rainbow colours and put their names in the giant love heart light at the front of the Grade 1 listed building.

    Darren, 30, said, “It was a magical evening. We have a strong affinity with Blackpool, it’s where we spent our New Year’s Eve so it only feels right to get down on one knee at our favourite spot in the resort.”

    The pair were then treated to an intimate champagne reception at The Blackpool Tower, something they’ve always dreamed of but never been able to do.

    Darren added, “I’m so thankful to the team for going out of their way and making this Valentine’s Day even more special.

    Daniel and Darren were one of five couples chosen by The Blackpool Tower to have their name blazoned on the side of the iconic Blackpool landmark. Each of the couples was then treated to a special romantic evening at The Blackpool Tower.

    Kenny Mew, the general manager at The Blackpool Tower, said: “We are thrilled that we could be on hand to help the happy couple celebrate their engagement. I would like to pass on my congratulations from all the team here.

    “We have hundreds of people that come to The Blackpool Tower every year to propose. With over 123 years of history, The Blackpool Tower has such a special place in a lot of peoples’ hearts. You simply can’t find another more romantic venue quite like here anywhere else in the country!”

    The Blackpool Tower Eye also offers special engagement packages, perfect for those wanting to make their proposal extra special. The package includes access to The Blackpool Tower Eye as well as a bottle of bubbly, handpicked bunch of roses and chocolates to celebrate.

  • Bermuda becomes first nation on earth to repeal same-sex marriage

    In a first, Bermuda officially moved toward abolishing same-sex marriage by approving a bill Wednesday despite a supreme court ruling that legalized gay couple marriage in May 2017. Merely eight … (more…)

  • Chatty Man Alan Carr gets married to his husband

    Alan Carr has tied the knot with his husband

    CREDIT: Alan Carr / Instagram

    Presenter and comedian Alan Carr has married his now actor husband, Paul Drayton, after being together for ten years. The star’s publicist confirmed the marriage. The pair had a “small, private ceremony” in the US.

    The couple were engaged last year when they were on holiday in Indonesia. Despite the country’s poor LGBT rights record of late, the Lombok hotel’s management was in on the proposal.

    The engagement ring was hidden in Alan’s dessert, and when he found the ring the hotel’s organist started playing Elton John’s “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and the hotel’s staff starting singing.

    He said that at first, he thought he had broken a filling after biting into the dessert, but discovered that it was actually a ring.

    Away from prying eyes

    According to The Sun, the couple decided to wed in Los Angeles to be away from “prying eyes” where they would not be recognised.

    The pair jetted off to South America to celebrate the wedding.

    Despite the small wedding both Alan and Paul are planning a “big celebration” for all their friends and family later on this summer to celebrate their marriage, according to the publicist.

    Previously Alan said that he wanted singer Adele to perform at his wedding.

  • Isn’t it time UK law considered gay sex equal to straight sex?

    For those who continue to call same-sex marriage “marriage equality,” you might be interested to know that the UK government doesn’t consider your sexual activity equal.

    So when same-sex marriage came into law, it didn’t automatically spell marriage equality – it’s one of the reasons why THEGAYUK.com doesn’t use the term.

    One of those things that stopped us from fully embracing the marriage equality slogan was that in UK law gay sex and straight sex are not equal.

    How do we know this? Well, straight couples can get divorced because of adultery. Gay couples cannot. Effectively treating same-sex sexual relations differently from heterosexual sexual relations.

    Adultery is defined by UK law “voluntary sexual relations between an individual who is married and someone who is not the individual’s spouse”, but it only counts if the person is of the opposite sex. A spouse cannot commit adultery if the person they are cheating with is the same sex.

    Grounds for divorce, in this case, would have to be petitioned under “unreasonable behaviour”.

    This is also true of civil partnerships. Speaking to THEGAYUK.com last year, Andrew Smith, Associate Solicitor for Blacks Solicitors’ Family Law team told us,

    “…the definition of adultery is sexual intercourse with someone of the opposite sex outside marriage. Instead, civil partners have to use ‘unfaithfulness’ as one of a number of examples of Unreasonable Behaviour.”

    “Where is the equality?”

    Jodene Murphy is petitioning the UK government for change. Writing on the petition Murphy explains, “When the UK Government welcomed same-sex marriage and updated the Marriage Act accordingly, they neglected to sufficiently update the divorce law. We are now living in a country where same-sex couples cannot divorce under the grounds of adultery. Where is the equality? Equal rights for all.”

    The petition needs to garner over 10,000 signatures in order for the government to answer. At 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

  • Ricky Martin ties knot with partner Jwan Yosef

    Singer Ricky Martin of “Livin’ la Vida Loca” fame announced Wednesday he has married his partner of two years, Jwan Yosef. “I’m a husband,” the Puerto Rican singer told E! television without specifying the date of the wedding.

  • TV show Neighbours to make history with first gay wedding proposal

    Can we hear wedding bells in the distance?

    Neighbours is set to make history when it returns to Channel 5 next week as David asks Aaron to marry him… But does Aaron say yes?

    Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) looks shocked and less than impressed as David pops the question, on one knee, dressed as a cupid. (Basically, our dream come true) Will Aaron say yes? The proposal comes as Australia recently voted to legalise same-sex marriage late last year.

    Speaking to THEGAYUK.com in 2015, Neighbours‘ stalwart actor, Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy) said that she could see a same-sex marriage in the show’s future, it seems as though, maybe, 2018 could be that year.

    Neighbours continues on Channel 5 on the 9th January 2018

     

  • Andrea Leadsom says she would be “happy” to see gay marriage in Church

    Despite abstaining from the same-sex marriage vote, Andrea Leadsom said that she’d be “happy” to see same-sex couples getting married in Churches.

    Cabinet Minister, Andrea Leadsom, who ran an unsuccessful bid to become the UK’s Prime Minister in 2016 has said that she would be “happy” to see gay marriage in Churches, despite previously saying that same-sex marriage “harms” Christians.

    At a recent event, she addressed her poor voting record on LGBT+ rights, specifically, the Marriage (same-sex couples) Bill in 2013.

    Speaking to PinkNews, she said, “My decision [to abstain on the 2013 Marriage (same-sex couples) Bill] related specifically to the legislation around registry offices and churches, and the way in which the Christian faith recognises marriage.

    “I have always been clear that I believe the love of same-sex couples is just as important, and indeed equal, as the love of heterosexual couples.

    “I would be very happy to see same-sex couples married in a church, but that is a matter for the Church of England.

    “I am proud to live in a country that recognises equality for all.”

  • Timeline of gay marriage and rights in Australia

    Due to licensing this article must be read on our website

    Australia’s parliament passed a law legalising same-sex marriage Thursday. It followed a historic nationwide survey that saw Australians vote overwhelmingly in favour of marriage equality. Here is a timeline of key moments in marriage rights in Australia: 1961: Australia introduces its first Marriage Act, but it does not include a formal definition of marriage 1975: South Australia becomes the first state to decriminalise male homosexuality 1976-1997:… (more…)

  • Austria’s top court allows same-sex marriage

    Due to licensing this article must be read on our website

    Austria’s top court has ruled that same-sex couples can marry from 2019 at the latest, bringing the often conservative Alpine country into line with more than a dozen other European nations. “The Constitutional Court nullified with a decision on December 4, 2017 the legal regulation that until now prevented such couples from marrying,” a statement released on Tuesday said. (more…)

  • Gay and marriage rights in Australia: A timeline

    Australians have voted overwhelmingly in favour of same-sex marriage, in a historic nationwide survey that will now go to parliament to give it the force of law. Nearly 80 percent of eligible voters took part in the two-month postal survey, with 61.6 percent of respondents saying “yes” to gay unions, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. (more…)