Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Willow, and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Marriage Equality, and it fits into the unit Communities: How can we understand and respect different types of relationships? During this lesson, we are going to be talking about discrimination.

So for this lesson, we recommend that you have an adult with you.

If at any point you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important that you stop the video and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start on today's lesson.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain the key legal changes in the UK relating to civil partnerships and marriage equality.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura says that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Next, Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

"We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves." Next, Jacob says, "No judgment.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged by others." And finally, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

"Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion, and we should never put anyone on the spot," as this can make people feel uncomfortable.

We're now going to take a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword is marriage equality.

This is the legal right granted in England and Wales in 2013 for same-sex couples to marry on the same terms as opposite-sex couples.

And finally, we have decriminalized.

This is when criminal penalties are removed for an action that was previously illegal.

Today's lesson is split into two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called what were the steps to marriage equality, and our second learning cycle is called why was marriage equality significant? Let's make a start on our first learning cycle: What were the steps to marriage equality? Tory and Savannah say, "We got married last year.

We're really happy together, but it hasn't always been possible for same-sex couples to enter into marriage." Before 1967, homosexuality was a criminal offense in the UK.

People could be arrested and imprisoned for same-sex relationships.

This meant that same-sex couples had no legal recognition or protection.

The law at this time treated same-sex relationships as illegal, which meant that people lived in fear, and they couldn't be open about who they loved and who they were.

We're now going to look at a history of the journey to marriage equality.

So, in 1967, homosexuality was decriminalized in England and Wales.

This meant that homosexuality wasn't illegal in England and Wales anymore.

In 1980, Scotland decriminalized homosexuality.

And in 1982, Northern Ireland decriminalized homosexuality too.

And in 2004, the Civil Partnerships Act gave same-sex couples legal rights similar to marriage.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to complete the sentence with the missing year: Homosexuality was decriminalized in England and Wales in blank.

Where I've said the word "blank," can you decide which word is missing? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the missing year was 1967.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in England and Wales in 1967.

Well done if you said the same thing.

2004 was the first time that same-sex couples gained legal recognition in the UK.

It gave people in civil partnerships rights in inheritance, pensions, and next-of-kin decisions.

This meant that if a partner became ill, their civil partner could make medical decisions and visit them in hospital, just like married couples could.

Xavier says that it was seen as a major step towards equality, but still not the same as marriage.

Civil partnerships were only available to same-sex couples at first, creating a separate legal category rather than equal access to marriage itself.

Some campaign groups argued that separate but similar arrangements were not truly equal, and that same-sex couples deserved the same rights and recognition as opposite-sex couples.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which statement is true or false? The Civil Partnerships Act gave same-sex couples legal rights similar to marriage.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

The Civil Partnerships Act gave same-sex couples legal rights similar to marriage, but they weren't exactly the same.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now going to talk about the Marriage, Same Sex Couples, Act in 2013.

So many campaigns and charities supported changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry on the same terms as opposite-sex couples.

Members of Parliament, often called MPs, in the House of Commons passed the law by 400 votes to 175, showing strong support, but also some opposition.

The debate in Parliament reflected different views in society, with some MPs supporting equality and human rights, whilst others had concerns based on religious or traditional beliefs about marriage.

Let's take a look at the history of the journey to marriage equality.

So, in 2013, the Marriage, Same Sex Couples, Act legalized same-sex marriage in England and Wales, but this didn't take effect until 2014.

In 2014, Scotland legalized same-sex marriage, and in 2020, Northern Ireland legalized same-sex marriage too.

Mark and Simon say, "When the 2013 law passed, it meant that I could finally marry the person I loved in the same way that my friends could.

It felt like our relationship was treated equally under the law." Scotland passed its own law in 2014 to allow same-sex marriage.

Northern Ireland was the last part of the UK legalizing same-sex marriage in 2020.

This meant that marriage equality became available across the whole UK.

Each part of the UK has the power to make its own laws about marriage, which is why the changes happened at different times, as there were different levels of support in each place.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Which part of the UK legalized same-sex marriage last? Can you remember? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that Northern Ireland in 2020 is correct.

This was the last part of the UK to legalize same-sex marriage.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to our first practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to answer the following questions: Number 1: What happened in 1967 in England and Wales regarding homosexuality? Number 2: How did the Civil Partnership Act of 2004 change the legal rights of same-sex couples compared to before? Question 3: Why was the Marriage, Same Sex Couples, Act 2013 considered a bigger step than civil partnerships? And finally, question 4: why did marriage equality become law at different times across the UK? Pause the video, and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For question 1: What happened in 1967 in England and Wales regarding homosexuality? You might have said that in 1967, homosexuality was partly decriminalized in England and Wales.

Question 2: How did the Civil Partnership Act of 2004 change the legal rights of same-sex couples compared to before? You might have said that the Civil Partnership Act of 2004 gave same-sex couples rights like inheritance, pensions, and next-of-kin status, which they didn't have before.

For question 3: Why was the Marriage, Same Sex Couples, Act 2013 considered a bigger step than civil partnerships? You might have said that the Marriage, Same Sex Couples, Act 2013 was the biggest step because it allowed same-sex couples to marry on the same legal terms as opposite-sex couples, not just have a separate legal status.

And for question 4: Why did marriage equality become law at different times across the UK? You might have said that different parts of the UK make their own laws about marriage, so each nation debated and passed the law separately.

This meant that the changes happened at different times depending on the level of support and the views in each area.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now going to move on to our second learning cycle: Why was marriage equality significant? Marriage equality gave same-sex couples the same status as opposite-sex couples.

Marriage equality matters for practical and emotional reasons: it gives couples legal protection for their families and it recognizes that their love and commitment are just as valuable as any other couple's.

Tory and Savannah say, "When we got married, it meant that we were recognized as a family.

Now that we're expecting a baby, the law recognizes and protects us just like any other married parents." Beyond legal rights, marriage equality signaled wider social acceptance.

It showed that the law valued same-sex relationships equally.

Jack says, "When my uncles got married last year, it felt important; not just for them, but for me.

It told me that one day I could marry whoever I love." Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which of the following statements about marriage equality are true? a, it gives couples legal protection for their families.

b, it signaled wider social acceptance.

And c, it only matters for emotional reasons.

What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that a and b are correct.

Marriage equality gives couples legal protection for their families, and it signaled wider social acceptance.

It didn't only matter for emotional reasons.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Many supported marriage equality as fairness and equal rights.

They argued that in a democratic society, everyone should be treated equally under the law, regardless of who they love.

Some opposed on religious or cultural grounds, believing that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

John, who's a Quaker, says that some faith leaders welcomed it, but others said it conflicted with their traditions.

The law change meant that same-sex couples could marry under UK civil law.

Religious groups are not required to conduct same-sex weddings.

This means that whilst the government changed civil law, it also protected religious freedom by not forcing religious organizations to perform ceremonies that went against their beliefs.

So let's answer the question: Why did lawmakers make this choice? Lawmakers wanted to balance two important principles.

So first of all, equality under civil law, so that everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love.

But also religious freedom too, so religious organizations can follow their own beliefs and traditions.

So this approach meant that the law gave everyone equal rights to civil marriage, but it also meant that religious communities could continue to follow their own traditions about religious ceremonies.

Because of this, both equality and religious freedom were protected.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if the statement is true or false: Religious groups must conduct same-sex weddings by law.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that religious groups are not required to perform same-sex weddings.

The law change was made under UK civil law, which doesn't apply to religious ceremonies.

Well done if you had something like this.

Some faith groups, like the Quakers, allow same-sex couples to marry in their places of worship.

Quakers have supported same-sex marriage for many years.

John is a Quaker, and he says that, "In my Quaker meeting, same-sex couples can marry.

We believe love and equality are central to our faith." Let's do another check for understanding.

This time, I'd like you to answer the question: Which religious group allows same-sex couples to marry in their meetings? What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the answer is Quakers.

The Quakers allow same-sex couples to marry in their meetings.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to our final practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

For this task, I'd like you to answer the following questions: First of all, what does Tory and Savannah's experience show about why marriage equality is significant? Tory and Savannah say, "Our marriage means that our baby will grow up knowing our family is protected and recognized by the law." Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, well done for your hard work on that question.

We're now going to move on to the second question: What does John tell us about how some religious groups responded to marriage equality? John, who's a Quaker, says that we believe marriage should be open to everyone.

So what does John tell us about how some religious groups responded to marriage equality? What do you think? Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, well done for your hard work on that question.

Let's move on to our final question: What does Christopher's perspective share about the difference between law and religion in the UK? This is Reverend Christopher, who's part of the Church of England.

He says, "In our church, we don't perform same-sex weddings, but we have blessed people's marriages." So what does Christopher's perspective share about the difference between law and religion in the UK? What do you think? Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For the first question: What does Tory and Savannah's experience show about why marriage equality is significant? You might have said that Tory and Savannah's experience shows that marriage equality means families are both protected and recognized by the law in the same way as other parents.

For the next question: What does John tell us about how some religious groups responded to marriage equality? You might have said that this shows that some religious groups, like the Quakers, welcomed marriage equality and chose to conduct same-sex weddings.

And for our last question: What does Christopher's perspective share about the difference between law and religion in the UK? You might have said that this perspective shows that the law allows marriage equality, but religious groups like the Church of England don't have to perform same-sex weddings, though they have sometimes offered blessings.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

The law allows religious groups to choose whether to conduct same-sex weddings.

I'd like you to discuss with your partner why lawmakers included this choice, and we'll go through what you might have said in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

You might have said that the law tried to balance equality with religious freedom.

Everyone has equal rights to civil marriage, but religious groups can make their own decisions about religious ceremonies based on their beliefs and traditions.

Well done if your answer was something like this.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that in the UK, marriage equality was achieved through a series of legal changes, starting with civil partnerships in 2004 and then the Marriage, Same Sex Couples, Act in 2013.

These changes meant that same-sex couples were given the same legal rights and recognition as opposite-sex couples.

Marriage equality was significant because it protected families and showed that the law valued all relationships equally.

Some religious groups conduct same-sex weddings, whilst others, like the Church of England, do not.

This shows how marriage equality was both a legal milestone and a topic with different perspectives in society.

During this lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or questions, and if you do, it's really important that you share these with a trusted adult.

There's also a resource on the screen that's there to support you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you again soon.