May stated that allowing this union for all couples was necessary since some individuals “want to formalize their relationship but don’t necessarily want to get married.”

This change stems from a decision by the Supreme Court in June, which that found a heterosexual couple was allowed to enter into a civil partnership. The court ruled that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The couple at the center of the debate has since posted a video expressing their excitement to move forward in a civil partnership.

(Published by Jurist, October 3,2018)