Before civil partnerships were introduced and same-sex marriage was legalised in England, Scotland and Wales, same-sex couples would often hold symbolic ceremonies to affirm their love for one another. Often called commitment ceremonies, these unions – though lacking in legal recognition – were no less significant to the couples than the marriages of their straight counterparts.
We would like to hear from same-sex people who held their own commitment ceremonies or similar prior to the introduction of civil partnerships and same-sex marriages in England, Scotland and Wales.
Share your experiences
We are interested in hearing in detail about couples’ own unions and finding out more about how these ceremonies were celebrated, the types of services and the locations they were held in. Were there readings? Was there music? Were there any religious aspects to the ceremonies? Were the services held in secret? Did family and friends attend? Was there any opposition to them?
We’d also be interested in hearing about the risks holding these ceremonies came with and the issues that were caused by a lack of legal protection.
Tell us about your experiences in the from below – one of our journalists may be in touch to discuss further and we’ll publish a selection as part of an upcoming feature.
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