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Same-sex couples will be allowed to legally marry in England and Wales for the first time from today. Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law. David Cameron said the move sent a message that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some religious groups remain opposed.
The Prime Minister said: "This weekend is an important moment for our country." The law change would encourage young people unsure of their sexuality, he added. "It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth", he added. He said "We are a nation that is growing stronger economically because of our long term economic plan. But I hope we can also be a country that is growing stronger socially because we value love and commitment equally."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg praised the legal change, saying "Britain will be a different place" as a result. He congratulated his party for being part of the reform, saying: "If our change to the law means a single young man or young woman who wants to come out, but who is scared of what the world will say, now feels safer, stronger, taller - well, for me, getting into coalition government will have been worth it just for that."
Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated gay couples planning to tie the knot. "This is an incredibly happy time for so many gay couples and lesbian couples who will be getting married, but it's an incredibly proud time for our country as well, recognising equal marriage in law," he said.
On Friday, the spirutual leader of the Church of England, Justin Welby told the BBC the church would now drop its opposition to the introduction of same-sex marriage in England. He said Parliament had made a decision and the church had to respect it. However, the Roman Catholic group Catholic Voices said the findings of the BBC's survey few would turn in a same-sex couple wedding if invited, reflected the reality that people remained "deeply uncomfortable" with the move.
Long-term couple Teresa Millward and Helen Brearley plan to get married this Saturday morning. The pair, who will wed in Halifax, have not had a civil partnership because they believed it did not offer the same rights as marriage. Ms Brearley said the new legislation puts them on a more equal footing with heterosexual married couples. Ms Millward, her fiancee, added: "The certificate we get on the day will be the same as the certificate that my dad has with his wife, that my mum has with her husband, that my brother has with his wife and that my sister has with her husband. There will be no difference, so in that case, there is true equality."
However, David Beaton from Leicester he would not attend a gay wedding. He said "If gays or lesbians believe in the Christian, or other faiths, and claim to be following doctrine and the tenets of the church they belong to then it is hypocritical for them to demand a ceremony that is at odds with their own claimed beliefs," Mr Beaton said.
More: BBC News - Same-sex couples can legally marry from midnight
The Prime Minister said: "This weekend is an important moment for our country." The law change would encourage young people unsure of their sexuality, he added. "It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth", he added. He said "We are a nation that is growing stronger economically because of our long term economic plan. But I hope we can also be a country that is growing stronger socially because we value love and commitment equally."
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg praised the legal change, saying "Britain will be a different place" as a result. He congratulated his party for being part of the reform, saying: "If our change to the law means a single young man or young woman who wants to come out, but who is scared of what the world will say, now feels safer, stronger, taller - well, for me, getting into coalition government will have been worth it just for that."
Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated gay couples planning to tie the knot. "This is an incredibly happy time for so many gay couples and lesbian couples who will be getting married, but it's an incredibly proud time for our country as well, recognising equal marriage in law," he said.
On Friday, the spirutual leader of the Church of England, Justin Welby told the BBC the church would now drop its opposition to the introduction of same-sex marriage in England. He said Parliament had made a decision and the church had to respect it. However, the Roman Catholic group Catholic Voices said the findings of the BBC's survey few would turn in a same-sex couple wedding if invited, reflected the reality that people remained "deeply uncomfortable" with the move.
Long-term couple Teresa Millward and Helen Brearley plan to get married this Saturday morning. The pair, who will wed in Halifax, have not had a civil partnership because they believed it did not offer the same rights as marriage. Ms Brearley said the new legislation puts them on a more equal footing with heterosexual married couples. Ms Millward, her fiancee, added: "The certificate we get on the day will be the same as the certificate that my dad has with his wife, that my mum has with her husband, that my brother has with his wife and that my sister has with her husband. There will be no difference, so in that case, there is true equality."
However, David Beaton from Leicester he would not attend a gay wedding. He said "If gays or lesbians believe in the Christian, or other faiths, and claim to be following doctrine and the tenets of the church they belong to then it is hypocritical for them to demand a ceremony that is at odds with their own claimed beliefs," Mr Beaton said.
More: BBC News - Same-sex couples can legally marry from midnight
