Same-Sex Relationships

• In the past, romantic relationships were seen as a relationship between a man and a woman rather than between two men or between two women.
• Homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK in 1967.
• As British society has changed, many people’s attitudes to same-sex relationships have also changed.
• The Civil Partnership Act in 2004 enabled same-sex partners to have essentially the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples.
• The Marriage (same-sex couples) Act in 2013 legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
• Same-sex couples who wish to be legally joined now have two routes they can take.
• Same-sex relationships divide people’s opinions, both for those with religious faith and those without.
• The three monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam have traditionally taught that same-sex relationships are wrong.
• Within individual religions, there is sometimes disagreement about these teachings.