Over the past ten years, I have often heard the phrase ‘not in my lifetime’ from people who identify somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum. With the recent news that England and Wales will indeed be introducing same-sex marriage, I realised that I didn’t think I would see same-sex marriage in my lifetime. Now I know there are problems with the Bill, it isn’t perfect, but we shouldn’t let that distract us from this monumentally historic moment. It is incredibly upsetting now to think that as a teenager, I had such little faith that I did not believe I would ever have the choice to get married to a woman.
For me the emotional impact of this change in the Law is amplified by the recent news reports from Russia. As we legislate to improve and champion equality, their government is taking even bigger backward leaps to endorse an unequal homophobic and transphobic society. I have nothing but admiration for the activists and LGBTQ people in Russia, who are brave enough to stand up for their rights regardless of the consequences.
Despite all the Laws in the UK which have discriminated against or criminalised LGBTQ people, some not so dissimilar to those we are seeing in Russia now, I still think we should take a moment to be proud of what happened in the House of Commons on the 17th July 2013. Yes, we don’t have a perfect record when it comes to LGBTQ rights, and maybe it shouldn’t be just Alan Turing receiving a posthumous pardon, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that we are a society that appears to be heading in the right direction.
Although I believe we should celebrate, I am not naive enough to assume that same-sex marriage is our final step for equality, or that it will prevent everyday homophobia and transphobia. We still have battles ahead of us, both in the UK and Worldwide; we certainly can’t afford to become complacent. As Nelson Mandela said: “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” However, when you reach a summit, you should always take a moment to enjoy the view.
Ellie Walsh
Community Engagement Officer
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