Pink Wedding Days | Gay Marriage and Civil Partnerships Blog

A decision to draft a same-sex partnership law could mean that Taiwan will become the first Asian country to legalise gay marriage. Judicial authorities  had previously suggested that a draft proposal would only occur when the public was "ready". Campaigners for marriage equality were recently buoyed by developments in the United States : where a Supreme Court decision overturned statewide bans on gay marriage.    Taiwan has, however, broached the issue of gay marriage before. In 2003, a proposal by the country’s Executive Branch was rejected because of widespread opposition. Only last month, Deputy Minister of Justice, Chen Ming-Tang said that the issue remained  “extremely controversial” and that there were no plans to change the law.  Yet there is widespread support for gay marriage. In November 2014, Pink News reported approval to be at 68% . Equally, thousands of demonstrators were on the streets of  Taipei  earlier this mont...

Cost Weddings are expensive.  There, we said it. The average cost of a UK wedding is now £20,500 . Crazy when you consider that the average salary (after tax) is around £31,000 per couple. The bigger the wedding the more expensive it’s probably going to be. This isn’t just about bums on seats for the ceremony; it’s about what it’ll cost per head: the venue capacity, the wedding breakfast, the buffet, the accommodation, the favours etc The average price in 2014 for each guest was £226 .   Fine for your parents, your best friends and close family but would you pay £226 for Julie in accounts? Or £226 for your cousin’s box fresh boyfriend? Having a smaller wedding isn’t about having something small, it’s about finding the perfect balance between expense and atmosphere.  The extra money could be spent on getting a better venue, a wider range of food options, a free bar or an extra few nights for the honeymoon. You could go absolut...

Same-sex marriage could become legal in Jersey and Guernsey in 2017. Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the United Kingdom. They belong to the British Crown , but they have autonomy over their own social and political administration. It means that when, in 2014, England, Wales and Scotland lifted the ban on gay marriage , Jersey and Guernsey did not. Things could be about to change, however. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister for Jersey announced that a draft law allowing same-sex marriage on the island could be ready as soon as January 2017 . On the same day, the Chief Minister for Guernsey revealed that, following an island wide survey, there did appear to be widespread support for gay marriage . It means that same-sex couples on either island could potentially begin planning weddings from late 2017 .  It’s fantastic to see progress for equal marriage in some of the world's smaller communities. A few weeks ago, we posted about the island of Pitcairn...

We’ve heard a rumour that there could be news about gay marriage coming from Jersey and Guernsey today. Anyone else know anything about this? We can’t find confirmation anywhere. Fingers crossed it’s for something good.  Keep watching the blog and we'll update as soon as we have something (or not). 

Last week was the turn of the south but this weekend we’re looking back to the north (and the sort of north) for a weekend of pride shenanigans.  This week it’s Newcastle, Hull and Stoke on Trent’s turn. Newcastle Pride is running over three days with a very impressive range of events and attractions throughout the weekend. There’s a parade, a fun run, film showings and free film screenings and loads more. You can find out more by clicking here and heading to the website. Hull Pride will start from 12pm in Queen Victoria Square and move to the main stage in Baker Street. Musical performances will be from Sonique, Stooshe, Lucy Spraggan and Lorraine Bowen. There’s food, face painting, music, food and lots of stalls. For more information you can click through from here. Stoke on Trent Pride will feature the musical talents of Jake Quickenden, Kelly Wild and Ryan Jagger. We’re not entirely sure of the specifics of what will be there, but you can follow...

A very good friend of mine is getting married in November, and another very good friend is planning the hag do . I know I should be really excited about this: spending a weekend away with some of my closest friends, but I’m not. All I can think about is how much it’s going to end up costing me. Gay marriage might still be in its infancy, but ever since civil partnerships were legalised in 2005, gay people have embraced the hen and stag tradition with the same zealous abandon as their straight counterparts. It’s been estimated that the average hen, stag or hag party now costs around £160 per person . Worse still, it’s often in the guise of organised fun. I'm of the opinion that if you have to organise fun, then maybe you shouldn’t be allowed to have it in the first place. The hag do that I've been invited to is going to be in Blackpool. The shared hotel room, entry to a male strip show, a buffet "meal" with a cocktail and transfers t...

A panel of judges in Puerto Rico has ruled that the country’s ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. This means that same-sex weddings could begin taking place on the island from July 15 th . Puerto Rico is a US territory, (part of a US Commonwealth) but it does have local autonomy and, in many ways, a social identity distinct from the US.  Recently, however, there have been some calls for the island to join the US as the 51 st state and, as Puerto Ricans are recognised as US citizens , it’s easy to see where the judges have taken their cue.  Whatever the personal and political beliefs of the island’s leadership (the President opposes it) last month’s decision by the US Supreme Court to legalise gay marriage in the US will have had some impact on the island’s outlook toward  same-sex marriage .   In 2014, a lesbian couple challenged Puerto Rico’s gay wedding  ban by asking the US District Court to force the Commonwealth into recogni...

This week it’s all about pride in the South, South East and South West. If you’re free this weekend, then why not head to Bourne Free in Bournemouth. This year’s theme is Broadway and everyone is welcome to join in the fun. In Essex, there’ll be music from Lucy Spraggon (among others), circus classes, bars, food, stalls and much more. There’s also the Essex Pride dog show, too, if you’ve got a perfect pooch you’d like to show off. Musicians, drag queens, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Little Boots will all be at Bristol Pride on Saturday. Events   and music go right on into the evening, too.  

Following last week’s US Supreme Court Decision to legalize gay marriage across all 50 states, bishops in the  Episcopal  Church (of which there are around 1.9 million American members) have voted to allow religious same-sex wedding ceremonies. Before everyone starts unfurling their rainbow flags and putting on their wedding hats, however, it’s worth noting that there are some pretty big caveats to the decision. Firstly, priests can abstain from performing a marriage ceremony if they don’t agree with gay marriage . A refusal like this would incur no punishment from the church, and the priest would be expected to refer the couples to someone who was willing to marry the couple.  Bishops can also refuse to allow same-sex weddings within their own diocese. In this situation, a priest is forbidden from performing a same-sex ceremony even if their own personal feelings are to allow them.   Whilst the decision should be welcomed and celebrated i...

Are you getting married between July and September 2015 ? Do you fancy having one final big adventure before your big day? Wannabe on TV? Then drop TwoFour an email, and maybe we'll be cheering you on later in the summer.