To mark the tenth anniversary of the legalisation of same-sex marriage in England and Wales, BBC local radio is launching a new podcast celebrating same-sex love stories.
The five-part series titled Danny Beard On Same-Sex Love and Marriage delves into the experiences of LGBTQ+ relationships since the legislation passed in July 2013. Host Danny Beard is an internationally renowned drag queen and winner of the BBC Three’s Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. Currently single, they wanted to speak to a wide range of same-sex couples who are married or plan to marry to get the lowdown on married life.
In this BBC Sounds podcast series listeners will hear first-hand what it’s been like for some of these trailblazers of marriage equality, including the first ever gay couple to ‘tie the knot’ in England (in March 2014).
In another episode you’ll hear how a lesbian couple made huge sacrifices to walk down the aisle. One of the women gave up her dream to be a priest in the Church of England to marry the love of her life.
In many countries, being gay is still illegal and can be punishable by death. One man from Saudi Arabia – alongside his new husband from Manchester – tells Danny how he was expected to enter into an arranged marriage with a woman but left his family and culture to marry the man he loved.
Identifying as non-binary themself, Danny wants to celebrate trans love stories too and said: “The world needs more love, so I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to share some beautiful love stories from the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve met so many wonderful people making this podcast and I can’t wait for you to hear their inspiring stories.”
Producer Emma Goswell added: “It’s been quite a struggle to narrow this down to five stories as there are so many incredible couples out there who have really benefited from this law. With so much equality still to fight for and with LGBTQ+ people still facing abuse and hardship, it’s great to able to shine a light on some of the joy in this community.”
Danny Beard On Same Sex Love and Marriage 5 x 15 minutes is a BBC England production. It will be broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester and be available BBC Sounds from Thursday, June 8.
