Today (17th July 2023) marks ten years since Maria Miller, as Culture Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, brought the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act through Parliament, extending the right to marry to same sex couples too.
Maria said, ‘bringing this into law is one of the proudest things I have done in my work, and I am delighted that we have reached this decade milestone with it having brought happiness to so many couples across the country.
Occasionally I am approached by people who thank me for this Act, saying that it allowed them or their friends or family to fulfil a lifetime wish to marry the person they love. I am touched hearing these stories – it was a real team effort across my Department and the whole of Government, and I am proud to have been the Secretary of State that got the Bill passed.
Since 2013, 42,000 couples have got married under this Act. It brings me a lot of joy to know that people, whatever their sex, can marry and be part of that important institution that is the bedrock of society, and brings people closer together.’
The law was extended to Northern Ireland in 2020, meaning that equal marriage is available to everyone across the UK and further strengthening the 2013 Act.
Maria continues to work for equalities, bringing in recent changes to the law to protect victims of intimate image abuse, and campaigning actively for women’s rights.