BBC NEWS | UK | 'Gay weddgs' bee law UK

Contents:

• A TIMELE OF GAY RIGHTS THE UK
• GETTG MARRIED THE UK GAY MARRIAGE LAWS UK
• GAY MARRIAGE: 15,000 SAME-SEX UPL WED SCE LAW CHANGE
• GAY RIGHTS 50 YEARS ON: 10 WAYS WHICH THE UK HAS CHANGED
• CULTURE RE-VIEW: GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGALISED THE UK
• GAY MARRIAGE
• MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
•  REAL LIFE WEDDGS

A TIMELE OF GAY RIGHTS THE UK

The act, which crimalised homosexual sex acts between nsentg men over the age of 21, opened the door to a slew of legal and social chang which would transform the way Brish society viewed same-sex relatnships over the next 50 are some of the key dat the history of gay rights the UK:1533: The Buggery Act, the first ever law to specifilly outlaw anal sex, was signed to English law. 1835: Jam Pratt and John Smh beme the last men Bra to be executed for homosexual acts.

The same year Wilblood was the only openly gay man to ttify before Lord Wolfenn's quiry, which would ultimately remend the crimalisatn of homosexualy. 1957: The Wolfenn mtee published s report, based on three years of ttimony om police, psychiatrists and gay men but one of the mtee's 15 members, drawn om the world of polics, law, medice and amia, agreed that homosexual acts between nsentg men over the age of legal majory - 21 at the time - should not be a matter for the law. Dpe cross-party support for the Act, MPs were hardly lg up to accept homosexualy as a legimate orientatn.

"Even those supportg crimalisatn lled homosexualy 'a disabily' and 'a great weight of shame', " says the Huffgton Post.

GETTG MARRIED THE UK GAY MARRIAGE LAWS UK

1972: By the early 1970s, "gay rights anisatns were sprgg up lolly and natnally, " says the Lbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive. In 1972, upwards of 2, 000 gay men and women marched London's first Pri para.

GAY MARRIAGE: 15,000 SAME-SEX UPL WED SCE LAW CHANGE

1988: Then-Prime Mister Margaret Thatcher troduced an amendment to the Lol Government Act 1988 banng state schools om teachg or promotg the "acceptabily of homosexualy as a pretend fay relatnship" notor "Sectn 28" ed wispread outrage and as the talyst for a massive surge gay activism, cludg the formatn of LGBT rights group Stonewall UK. Several gay upl were wed at the stroke of midnight on 29 March 2014, when the law officially me to effect.

GAY RIGHTS 50 YEARS ON: 10 WAYS WHICH THE UK HAS CHANGED

Media ptn, Peter McGrah and David Cabreza, John Coffey and Bernardo Marti, and Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were among the first gay upl to marryThe first same-sex weddgs have taken place after gay marriage beme legal England and Wal at midnight. David Cameron said the move sent a msage that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some relig groups rema opposed. "The law change would enurage young people unsure of their sexualy, he source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Tera Millward and Helen Brearley married HalifaxImage source, APImage ptn, Sean Adl-Tabatabai and Sclair Treadway married the uncil chamber at Camn Town Hall LondonImage source, PAImage ptn, Sandi Toksvig and her partner Debbie renewed their civil partnership vows at an event London celebratg the law changeLater on Saturday morng, Mr Cameron tweeted: "Congratulatns to the gay upl who have already been married - and my bt wish to those about to be on this historic day.

CULTURE RE-VIEW: GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGALISED THE UK

"This is an credibly happy time for so many gay upl and lbian upl who will be gettg married, but 's an credibly proud time for our untry as well, regnisg equal marriage law, " he said. Mr Tatchell said the uple and all the others gettg married had "ma history" and "ma Bra a more tolerant, equal place" a crowd of photographers, journalists and well-wishers wag, the uple took the opportuny to highlight the ternatnal stggle for gay McGrah said: "Very few untri afford their gay and lbian cizens equal marriage rights and we believe that this change law will brg hope and strength to gay men and lbians Nigeria, Uganda, Rsia, India and elsewhere, who lack basic equaly and are beg crimalised for their sexual orientatn. "Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were the first same-sex uple to marry BrightonImage source, AFPImage ptn, Phil Robathan and Jam Prton later married at Brighton Town HallLater on Saturday, a crowd of about 2, 000 people - which clud a number of celebri - gathered to watch edian Sandi Toksvig and her partner Debbie renew their civil partnership uple, who entered to a civil partnership seven years ago, exchanged vows on stage at the Royal Ftival Hall London at a special event to celebrate the troductn of gay marriage the UK.

GAY MARRIAGE

But some relig groups rema opposed to gay Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: "We n't jt refe an stutn - refe somethg that always has been - bee we say 's somethg that we want. The Roman Catholic Church oppos the change the gay virs, though, have said they are prepared to fy their bishops by sistg they have a right to ptn, The Rev Andrew Ca says he do not want nontatn wh the Church, but "mt do what is right"Among them is the Reverend Andrew Ca, who said the Church was enterg uncharted terrory, but he would not be "ightened" out of dog what he believed was Ca, who plans to marry his partner the summer, said he would do so whether the Church approved or not. Same-sex marriage beme legal jt after midnight on 29 March 2014, wh several upl optg to tie the knot moments source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Slightly more women have married pared to men - Tera Millward and Helen Brearley married on 29 March 2014Peter McGrah and David Cabreza married at 00:01 BST at Islgton Town Hall havg been together for 17 McGrah said: "I don't thk thgs have changed for many ways, we were already a long-term relatnship, we already had two kids, except the visibily of gay marriage across the world starts to make a difference.

MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

"There have always been gay men and lbians long-term relatnships that have que happily survived wh the ntext of fay and muny, but the law ught up wh the existence, and I'm hopg other untri legislatn n give people a chance. "He add: "Gay men and lbians don't want to be fed or nstraed by notns of 'tradnal' marriage, but the troductn of marriage equaly around the world is a signifier of a kd of progrs for sexual mori. "Media ptn, Peter McGrah and David Cabreza, John Coffey and Bernardo Marti, and Andrew Wale and Neil Allard were among the first gay upl to marryThe ONS said the most popular month to get married so far had been Augt 2014 wh 844 marriag.

Stland legalised the nventn December 2014 wh the first gay weddgs takg place on Hogmanay. Hundreds of gay upl are preparg to form civil partnerships the g weeks as the law chang after s of mpaigng.

 REAL LIFE WEDDGS

Alan Wardle, of gay mpaign group Stonewall, said the importance of the change should not be unrtimated. "Society now legally regnis gay relatnships for the first time. "It's a big day but 21 December, when the first partnerships take place, will be even bigger bee that will see gay and lbian people removg discrimatn.

Image source, Getty ImagIt's 50 years sce the partial crimalisatn of homosexual sex England and Wal. Approval fell the 1980s when the Aids crisis and the troductn of sectn 28 - a law prohibg the promotn or teachg of homosexualy schools - uld have swayed public opn acrdg to NatCen, the thk tank which ns the a steady and rapid rise om the early 1990s reflects a wir trend of social liberalisatn, somethg also seen changg attus to pre-maral sex.

Approval of pre-maral sex grew ially among the young - as they got olr they retaed that belief, and soon both old and young were more liberal on the same-sex relatnships the shift attu has been quicker - not only did young people wh liberal views get olr, but olr people changed their mds, might part be bee chang the law, such as the legalisatn of civil partnerships and then gay marriage, have a powerful fluence on people's views, a NatCen spokman suggts. There have been a number of other key dat on the journey towards sexual and genr equaly, not jt for gay men but for the rt of the LGBT muny. For example, gay sex remaed illegal Stland and Northern Ireland until 1982 while transgenr people weren't protected equaly legislatn until 2010.