Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

is legal in all parts of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Legislation to open

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

to same-sex couples in Guernsey was passed by the States of Guernsey on 21 September 2016, and took effect on 2 May 2017. Same-sex marriage laws took effect in Alderney on 14 June 2018, and

Sark Sark (french: link=no, Sercq, ; Sercquiais: or ) is a part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of ...

on 23 April 2020. The Bailiwick of Guernsey has never recognised

civil partnerships A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

, and prior to 2017 was the sole region in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

to not recognise

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

in any form.

Recognition of foreign unions

Civil partnerships A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

performed in the

and other relationships treated as such by UK law have been recognised in Guernsey for succession purposes since 2 April 2012, after approval of a bill allowing such recognition by the States of Guernsey on 29 June 2011. The bill received

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

in the Privy Council on 16 November and was registered in the records of the island on 5 December 2011. On 10 December 2015, the States approved an ordinance to recognise same-sex marriages and civil partnerships performed abroad for the purposes of the ''Income Tax (Guernsey) Law, 1975''. It took effect on 1 January 2017. On the same day, the States directed the preparation of legislation to amend the ''Inheritance (Guernsey) Law, 2011'' to recognise foreign same-sex marriages for its purposes. A bill to this effect was submitted on 22 January 2016, and was approved by the States on 2 March. It received royal assent in the Privy Council on 4 May and took effect on 16 May 2016. On 17 June 2015, the States of Alderney unanimously approved the ''Inheritance (Alderney) Law, 2015'', which includes provisions to recognise same-sex marriages and civil partnerships performed abroad for its purposes. The bill received royal assent in the Privy Council on 8 October, was registered in the records of the island on 9 November 2015, and took effect on 1 January 2016.

Same-sex marriage

Guernsey

In January 2014, it was announced that within the next twelve months deputies would debate whether to accept a state-recognised

civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

proposal. The proposed law, titled ''Union Civile'' (;

Guernésiais Guernésiais, also known as ''Dgèrnésiais'', Guernsey French, and Guernsey Norman French, is the variety of the Norman language spoken in Guernsey. It is sometimes known on the island simply as "patois". As one of the langues d'oïl, it has it ...

: ), was said to be "the most forward-looking marriage law" in the world. The measure would have ended state-sanctioned marriages of any couple and instead replaced it with ''Union Civile''. A consultation on the proposed law began on 1 June 2015 and lasted until 13 July 2015. The law would only apply to the islands of Guernsey, Herm, Jethou and

Lihou Lihou () is a small tidal island located just off the west coast of the island of Guernsey, in the English Channel, between Great Britain and France. Administratively, Lihou forms part of the Parish of St. Peter's in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

. On 14 July 2015, the results of the consultation indicated that over 1,600 responses had been filed, with the majority supporting the introduction of a same-sex marriage law rather than a partnership law. On 30 October 2015, the

Policy Council of Guernsey Guernsey operates a system of government by committees and consensus. The States of Deliberation The States of Guernsey (french: États de Guernesey), sometimes referred to as the Government of Guernsey, is the parliament and government ...

dropped the ''Union Civile'' plans and released a report asking the States to agree on introducing a same-sex marriage law. The States approved the proposal on 10 December 2015 in a 37–7 vote. Amendments to introduce civil partnerships or ''Union Civile'' rather than same-sex marriage were rejected. :a. Both deputies are appointed by the States of Alderney. In February 2016, a working group, consisting of Chief Minister Jonathan Le Tocq and deputies Elis Bebb and Chris Green, was established in order to prepare a draft bill. A same-sex marriage bill was approved by the States in a 33–5 vote on 21 September. :a. Both deputies are appointed by the States of Alderney. The ''Same-Sex Marriage (Guernsey) Law, 2016'' received royal assent in the Privy Council on 14 December 2016. It was registered in the records of the island on 16 January 2017. On 21 February 2017, the government announced that the law would take effect on 2 May, if the ordinances to commence it and make the necessary changes to other laws are approved by the States at its meeting on 26 April. On 26 April, the States approved both ordinances, and the law took effect on 2 May 2017. It applies to the jurisdiction of Guernsey, but not to Alderney and Sark. The first same-sex marriage in Guernsey was performed on 14 July 2017 between Kirsty Davison and Paula Le Page from

Saint Peter Port St. Peter Port (french: Saint-Pierre Port) is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958. St. ...

. The first same-sex couple to marry on Herm were Rebecca and Aletia Leong in August 2022.

Alderney

Alderney, one of the three constituent

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

which form the Bailiwick of Guernsey, has full autonomy in most legal matters (except foreign affairs and other powers that have been transferred to the States of Guernsey), through the States of Alderney. On 21 February 2017, the States' Policy and Finance Committee (PFC) approved a proposal from the Chief Executive, Victor Brownlees, to draft a bill to allow same-sex marriage on Alderney.

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...

advocacy group Liberate estimated that the entire process of legalisation could take 12 months. On 16 May, the PFC agreed to bring forward the proposed ''Same-Sex Marriage (Alderney) Law, 2017'' to a meeting of the States on a date to be determined later. On 18 July 2017, the PFC noted that the draft law was at an advanced stage, but that consequential amendments to other legislation was required before the bill could be presented to the States of Alderney. On 12 September 2017, the PFC unanimously approved the bill. The legislation was approved by the States on 18 October 2017 by a vote of 9 to 0 with one abstention. The bill received royal assent in the Privy Council on 13 December 2017 and was registered in the records of the island on 15 January 2018. On 13 June, the States approved the ordinances to commence the law and make the necessary changes to other laws, all of which came into effect on 14 June 2018. The first same-sex marriage was performed on 16 June 2018 in Platte Saline near Saint Anne.

Sark

is a constituent Channel Island which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It has legislative autonomy and legislation passed by the States of Guernsey do not apply to Sark without approval of the

Chief Pleas Sark (french: link=no, Sercq, ; Sercquiais: or ) is a part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of l ...

, resulting in same-sex marriages not being performed in Sark following the passage of Guernsey's legislation. On 2 October 2019, the Chief Pleas approved a proposition directing the Policy and Finance Committee to instruct the Law Officers to draft legislation to legalise same-sex marriage on the island. A bill mirroring the provisions of the Guernsey same-sex marriage law was approved by the Chief Pleas on 17 December 2019, and received royal assent on 11 March 2020. The law was registered in the records of the island on 6 April. On 22 April 2020, the Chief Pleas approved, in a unanimous 14–0 vote, the ordinances to commence the law and make the necessary changes to other laws, all of which came into effect on 23 April 2020. Sark equestrian

Carl Hester Carl Hester (born 29 June 1967 in Cambridgeshire, England) is a British dressage rider competing at Olympic level. As of 8 August 2012 the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) rank him 12th in the world riding Uthopia. In 2012, Heste ...

praised the legalisation of same-sex marriage on the island.

Religious performance

The

Methodist Church of Great Britain The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestant Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council, and the World Council of Churches among other ecumenical as ...

has allowed its ministers to conduct same-sex marriages since 2021. The Methodist Conference voted 254 to 46 in favour of the move. A freedom of conscience clause allows ministers with objections to opt out of performing same-sex weddings. In January 2022, the Methodist

congregation A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

in Sark announced it would be performing same-sex weddings in its local chapel. The smaller

United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. Origins and history The United Reformed Church resulte ...

has allowed its churches to perform same-sex marriages since 2016. The

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

also perform same-sex marriages.

References

External links

Website of Liberate
Guernsey's leading gay rights and marriage equality advocacy group
Same-Sex Marriage (Guernsey) Law, 2016
''Guernsey Legal Resources''
Same-Sex Marriage (Alderney) Law, 2017
''Guernsey Legal Resources''
Same-Sex Marriage (Sark) Law, 2019
''Guernsey Legal Resources'' {{LGBT unions and rights in the territories of the United Kingdom LGBT rights in Guernsey Same-sex marriage in the Crown Dependencies 2017 in LGBT history