Marie Neill

This research project will investigate the impact that the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 has had on the LGBTQ+ community in England and Wales. It will explore perceptions of marriage between generations of queer people, allowing them to express both the ways the act has furthered equality for queer people as well as the ways it has created more complex barriers for queer relationships. Over a decade has passed since the act came into effect and some may believe that the topic of same-sex marriage is an old debate. However, in this time a whole other generation of queer people have grown up and processed their sexuality within a time where same-sex couples are allowed to marry. Alongside this are older generations of queer people for whom marriage was not a possibility for the majority of their lives. In a society where "equal marriage" is celebrated as a great win for the community, numerous barriers continue to exist for queer people who do not have an equal experience of marriage, due to gender identity, religion, or other factors. This research aims to shed a light on these varied experiences and provide a voice for those most impacted by this act.