Weddings

There was a huge rush of same-sex weddings in Brazil last year ahead of “proud homophobe” Jair Bolsonaro becoming president. There was a 62 per cent increase in same-sex weddings in Brazil in 2018 and a fifth of the 9,520 gay weddings took place in December, shortly after Bolsonaro was elected, Reuters reports. Bolsonaro was elected in October 2018 and took office on January 1 2019. His election instilled fear in the country’s LGBT+ community that their rights would be  under threat. LGBT+ community feared that their rights would be...

A gay couple from Israel have opened up about their experience of getting married in Portugal because same-sex marriage is not legal in their home country. Liran Buchny and Maor Shtern spoke to CBS This Morning about how they celebrated their wedding despite their country’s laws. The couple – who met almost a decade ago while serving together in the Israeli army – travelled to Portugal with their families in August so they could have a legal wedding. Due to a legal loophole, Israel recognises same-sex weddings that take place...

A gay couple from Israel have opened up about their experience of getting married in Portugal because same-sex marriage is not legal in their home country. Liran Buchny and Maor Shtern spoke to CBS This Morning about how they celebrated their wedding despite their country’s laws. The couple – who met almost a decade ago while serving together in the Israeli army – travelled to Portugal with their families in August so they could have a legal wedding. Due to a legal loophole, Israel recognises same-sex weddings that take place...

A gay man’s sister refused to invite his partner of five years to her wedding because her soon-to-be husband comes from a religious family, and the internet has thoughts. The man posted on the subreddit “Am I the A**hole”, a community on the social media platform Reddit which describes itself as: “A catharsis for the frustrated moral philosopher in all of us, and a place to finally find out if you were wrong in an argument that’s been bothering you.” In the post, which has since been removed, he wanted...

A gay man’s sister refused to invite his partner of five years to her wedding because her soon-to-be husband comes from a religious family, and the internet has thoughts. The man posted on the subreddit “Am I the A**hole”, a community on the social media platform Reddit which describes itself as: “A catharsis for the frustrated moral philosopher in all of us, and a place to finally find out if you were wrong in an argument that’s been bothering you.” In the post, which has since been removed, he wanted...

A Republican “Bible-believing” Texas judge has been refusing to perform same-sex weddings, and she has gotten away with a public warning. McLennan County justice of the peace Dianne Hensley told the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct that even though marriage equality was legalised in 2015, she had taken matters into her own hands based on her “conscience and religion”. In Texas, justices of the peace do not have to perform weddings, but by doing so they can bring in extra income. Many judges chose not to perform weddings at all...

A gay couple’s engagement photos have gone viral after they staged them in an unusual location – the aisles of their favourite shop, Target. Aaron Damron and Tony DiPasqua from Erie, Pennsylvania, had no interest in a typical engagement shoot. When they met up with photographer Erica Whiting to discuss potential locations, they ruled out all the usual spots, like the local parks, lakes and forests. After being together for five years they wanted their photos to reflect the romance of their everyday relationship, which meant only one place would...

Same-sex couples in Northern Ireland are taking legal action against the UK government after it emerged that civil partnerships can’t be converted to marriages under the new law. Same-sex couples in Northern Ireland will be allowed to marry under the new law from January, but the 1,200 couples already in civil partnerships will be left in limbo, Love Equality has revealed. Joining the same-sex couples in legal action are two Christian couples and a Christian minister who are fighting the law because it prohibits couples from getting married in a...