Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
View my library
0
Teachers
Pupils
View unit
New
New
Lesson 4 of 4
  • Year 9

Marriage equality

I can explain the key legal changes in the UK relating to civil partnerships and marriage equality.

Download all
View unit
Lesson 4 of 4
New
New
  • Year 9

Marriage equality

I can explain the key legal changes in the UK relating to civil partnerships and marriage equality.

Download all

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

View new resources

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There were key milestones in the journey to marriage equality in the UK.
  2. In England and Wales, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act was introduced in 2013.
  3. Marriage equality had supporters and opponents, reflecting different perspectives.

Keywords

  • Marriage equality - the legal right, granted in England and Wales in 2013, for same-sex couples to marry on the same terms as opposite-sex couples

  • Decriminalised - when criminal penalties are removed for an action that was previously illegal

Common misconception

Civil partnerships and marriage equality are the same thing.

Civil partnerships (2004) gave many legal rights but were a separate status. Marriage equality (2013) allowed same-sex couples to marry on the same terms as opposite-sex couples. From 2019, civil partnerships were also open to opposite-sex couples.


To help you plan your year 9 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Marriage equality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Highlight differences between civil partnerships and marriage to avoid confusion. Remind pupils that the Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on sexual orientation. This lesson explores how laws changed over time to reflect equality principles.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word means the state of being equal?

Correct Answer: equality

Q2.
rights have changed significantly in Britain over the past few decades.

Correct Answer: LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+

Q3.
Put the following events in chronological order.

1 - Homosexuality decriminalised in England and Wales.
2 - Civil partnerships introduced.
3 - Equality Act passed.
4 - Same-sex marriage legalised in England and Wales.

Q4.
Match the LGBT individual to their contribution to British society.

Correct Answer:Alan Turing,codebreaker and computer pioneer

codebreaker and computer pioneer

Correct Answer:Nicola Adams,Olympic boxer and gold medal winner

Olympic boxer and gold medal winner

Correct Answer:Ruth Davidson,politician and former Scottish Conservative Party leader

politician and former Scottish Conservative Party leader

Q5.
If you saw someone being bullied because of their sexual orientation, you should:

ignore the victim as you don't want to get bullied too
Correct answer: report it to a trusted adult
Correct answer: speak up if it’s safe to do so
Correct answer: support the victim by being kind

Q6.
Which of the following statements are true?

Since gaining marriage equality, LGBT people have nothing to worry about.
LGBT people have rights now in the UK, so they don't face issues.
Correct answer: Some LGBT people still face unfair treatment despite the Equality Act.
Correct answer: Some LGBT people still unfortunately face hate crimes or bullying.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
In what year was the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act introduced in England and Wales?

2004
2010
Correct answer: 2013
2019

Q2.
Why was the introduction of marriage equality a significant step for LGBT rights?

It gave same-sex couples tax benefits.
It made all marriages free.
It banned civil partnerships.
Correct answer: It recognised same-sex marriages as equal in law.

Q3.
Put the nations in order of when they legalised same-sex marriage, starting with the earliest.

1 - England and Wales
2 - Scotland
3 - Northern Ireland

Q4.
What term means when criminal penalties are removed for an action that was previously illegal?

Correct Answer: decriminalised

Q5.
Which of the following statements is false?

Civil partnerships were introduced in 2004.
Civil partnership rights include inheritance, pensions & next-of-kin decisions.
Correct answer: Civil partnerships were exactly the same as marriages when introduced.

Q6.
What does it mean that marriage equality had both supporters and opponents?

everyone agreed it was a good law
only politicians supported it
it was secretly passed with no debate
Correct answer: different people had different views about it