Equal Ever After: The Fight for Same-Sex Marriage - And How I Made it Happen

(Hardback)

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29 March 2014 marked an important day in British history. It was the day that same-sex marriage became legal in this country. After decades of campaigning, the day finally arrived when two people of the same sex were able to get married and enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples. That same-sex marriage became a reality is largely down to Lynne Featherstone. As Equalities Minister in the coalition government, Featherstone worked tirelessly with activists, lawyers, campaigners and civil servants to achieve a change in the law that would be of epochal importance to the gay community. The road to equality was far from smooth. Opposition was fierce and often extreme, whether it came from religious communities, from the media or from within the Westminster village, it often seemed like an impossible task. However, Featherstone also found support from the most surprising of places, including Home Secretary Theresa May.

Reviews

"The inside story of the legislation of same-sex marriage by the government minister who pioneered it, with jaw-dropping revelations of how Stonewall initially tried to scupper marriage equality." - Peter Tatchell; "Lynne delivers both an insider's perspective and a comprehensive narrative on one of the most significant and progressive social changes in a generation." - Benjamin Cohen, Chief Executive of PinkNews; "We named Lynne Politician of the Year in 2012, and this book is a reminder of just how deserved that award was." - Attitude; "A pacy read and contains some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from Westminster." - Diva Magazine; "A very useful guide for anyone wishing to bring about change in society through public action." - The Inquirer

Author Bio

Lynne Featherstone was the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green between 2005 and 2015. She was a junior minister with responsibility for criminal information and equality, then international development, before becoming a Minister of State at the Home Office. She was the originator and architect of same-sex marriage, and Equal Ever After tells the extraordinary story of how she made it happen.Lynne spearheaded the government campaign to end female genital mutilation within a generation, and continues to campaign tirelessly against inequality. She won the Stonewall Politician of the Year Award in 2014 for her work supporting equality for LGBT people.