EXCLUSIVE: It was love at first sight for Sharni and Robyn - who'll make history this week as the first gay uple to wed Northern Ireland. But for many more, the fight go on. Dan Bloom spoke to the trailblazers leadg the way
Contents:
- ONE OF N.L.'S FIRST MARRIED GAY UPL LOOK BACK WH PRI
- SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: GAY UPL' ACTN ON 'LAY' NI
- MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
- ‘WHAT A DAY TO BE GAY NORTHERN IRELAND’: MARRIAGE EQUALY BE LAW AT LAST
- MEET THE FIRST BELFAST GAY UPL TO GET MARRIED - AND THE LOVERS STILL FIGHTG FOR JTICE
ONE OF N.L.'S FIRST MARRIED GAY UPL LOOK BACK WH PRI
Belfast uple Robyn Peopl, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, are the first gay uple to wed the provce. Same-sex marriage is now legal throughout the U.K. * first gay couple to marry in northern ireland *
Belfast uple Robyn Peopl, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, are the first gay uple to wed the Edwards, 27, and Robyn Peopl, 26, a Belfast uple who are the first known same-sex uple to get married Northern Ireland, kiss after beg married Carrickferg on Feb. 11, 2020, 2:10 PM UTCCARRICKFERGUS, Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland’s first same-sex weddg took place on Tuday after the ernment lifted a ban on gay marriage the provce, markg legalizatn of the practice throughout the Uned Peopl, 26, a health re worker om the cy, and Sharni Edwards, 27, a wars origally om Brighton, beme the provce’s first gay uple to wed, acrdg to the Love Equaly mpaign women exchanged their vows Carrickferg, County Antrim on their sixth anniversary as a uple.
Bra’s Northern Ireland Mister Julian Smh, members of parliament and mpaigners will celebrate the legalizatn of gay marriage at an event London later on Canng, the partner of murred thor Lyra McKee, who was shot ad by a New IRA gunman Londonrry last year, will also attend the London event. “It means the absolute world, ” Edwards said, when asked what meant to be champns for the lbian, gay, transsexual, bisexual and queer (LGBTQ) muny Northern Ireland, who have long mpaigned for equal rights. Media ptn, Robyn Peopl and Sharni Edwards tie the knot Northern Ireland's first same-sex marriage ceremonyA uple have tied the knot the first same-sex marriage to take place Northern Peopl, om Belfast, and Sharni Edwards, om Brighton celebrated their nuptials on Tuday at a ceremony a hotel Carrickferg, County met five years ago at a gay bar of the ceremony, Ms Peopl, a re worker, said the pair were sendg a msage to the world that "we are equal".
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: GAY UPL' ACTN ON 'LAY' NI
Power and David Philpott had to make their own ke topper by glug groomsmen figur togetherFrom “partner” to “hband”: meet one of the first married gay upl N. Philpott and Power may have been the first gay uple the provce to be legally married, but the trail they blazed was soon followed by many, wh the St. Protters held banners that read: "Homosexualy is a s".
We were the last part of UK to have ban on practice of homosexualy overturned. Image source, Hillgrove HotelImage ptn, Darren (left) and Tony Day said they were lighted to publicly clare their love for one anotherA Northern Ireland uple who are among the first to wed unr the Republic of Ireland's new same-sex marriage law said they are "thrilled" to be able to ll each other "hband and hband" and Darren Day held their weddg day County Monaghan on their Irish marriage was not legally regnised until Tuday, when a short ceremony ma County Antrim uple said is "a matter of time" until same-sex marriage is legalised Northern is the only part of the UK where gay marriage is not legal. IslandSpeakg after their legal exchange of vows on Tuday, Belfast man Darren said had been "a happy cince" that he and Tony, om Lisburn, were one of the first gay upl to marry the Republic of Ireland.
MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
Image source, Getty ImagSame-sex marriage mpaigners have said they will start a legal challenge to force the ernment to allow gay upl Northern Ireland to nvert their civil partnerships to first gay marriag Northern Ireland are expected to take place Febary, after they were legalised legislatn passed by MPs ernment is "workg to meet" the adle for troducg the mpaigners have said has not done enough for some gay have said upl civil partnerships have been left behd bee unr the plans they will not be able to nvert their partnerships to England, Stland and Wal, civil-partnered upl n nvert their partnerships to marriage by fillg a form and payg a fee of £ source, PA MediaImage ptn, Amanda McGurk (left) and Cara McCann want to nvert their civil partnership to marriageThat will not immediately apply Northern Ireland but the ernment said tends to hold a public nsultatn about extendg that to the regn.
'Government changed s md'Cara McCann and Amanda McGurk said they would take legal actn to make sure the change is place same-sex uple entered a civil partnership this year and Ms McCann argued they had not been treated the same way as gay upl who were not civil partners. A civil partnership nnot be dissolved wh s first two years Northern Ireland - after that n only be dissolved for at least one of the reasons:two years of separatn wh the nsent of the other partner to dissolve the partnershipfive years of separatnunreasonable behavursertnMs McCann said that wh none of those grounds beg met and wh no right to nvert their partnership she and Ms McGurk were not able to benef om the legalisatn of same-sex was creatg a "hierarchy wh the LGBT muny", she new legislatn requir the ernment to brg regulatns to provi for same-sex marriage by 13 January upl have to dite their tentn to marry 28 days before dog so, meang the first gay weddgs are expected to be held the week of Valente's Day. 'Delay for relig weddgs'Ms McCann and Ms McGurk are beg joed their legal actn by two Christian same-sex source, Amnty InternatnalImage ptn, Cara McCann (send right) and Amanda McGurk (right) have no choice but to take legal actn, says their solicor Ciaran Moynagh (send left)Unr the ernment's plans, same-sex upl will not be able to marry a relig ceremony when gay marriage be ernment said tend to rry out a nsultatn on allowg relig same-sex marriag Northern Ireland.
The rultg aln ernment ially said would reta a ban on gay marriage. As of 2020, the most recent year for which there is data, more than 42, 000 gay upl England and Wal had tied the knot. ) Pollg June found that more than three-quarters of Brons now support gay marriage, up om jt over half 2012.
‘WHAT A DAY TO BE GAY NORTHERN IRELAND’: MARRIAGE EQUALY BE LAW AT LAST
It end Sectn 28, which prevented schools and lol thori om “promotg homosexualy” and troduced civil partnerships. “I don’t support gay marriage spe beg a Conservative.
Gay marriag beme not an abstract threat but somethg unrtaken by iends, lleagu, neighbours. Almost half of Brons now say they know a married gay uple. Gordon Brown, Mr Cameron’s precsor, opposed gay marriage office bee was “timately bound up wh qutns of relig eedom”.
Though Bra was not the first to legalise , 19 other untri have sce given gay marriage their blsg. But has led to a of eccliastil disrd as liberal members of the church argue for the right to perform or partake gay marriag. A group of mps led by Ben Bradshaw, a gay Anglin, is lookg at ways to amend the legislatn to allow willg prits and parish to take part, which they argue uld also help boost dwdlg numbers the aisl.
MEET THE FIRST BELFAST GAY UPL TO GET MARRIED - AND THE LOVERS STILL FIGHTG FOR JTICE
Gay rights mpaigners take part a march through Belfast on July 1, 2017 to prott agast the ban on same-sex marriage. “What a day to be gay Northern Ireland, ” said Miln, 29.
The DUP and others attempted a rell to block the extensn of abortn rights – a far more ntent change – but the effort failed, allowg liberalisatn of both marriage equaly and abortn Smh, Northern Ireland’s secretary of state, said the first gay marriage was expected the week of Valente’s day 2020. ”Overt homophobia has ebbed Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland will fally see s first same-sex weddgs this week after a historic change - six years after gay marriage beme legal the UK. Sharni Edwards, 27, and Robyn Peopl, 26, will make history on Tuday as the first gay uple to get married Northern Ireland. ” Wars Sharni, om Brighton, met re assistant Robyn at a gay bar durg a week away her native Belfast.