February 16th 2025.
James and Matt's love story began in 2016, when James moved from Sydney to London and made a match on a dating app that would change his life forever. He swiped right on Matt Horwood and they instantly connected, going on their first date to an American diner. Just two months later, they made it official on a trip to Stockholm and less than a year after meeting, they got engaged on Valentine's Day in 2017.
James, who is 33 and works as Metro's Assistant Platform Editor in London, shares how the proposal went down. "We were enjoying a relaxing weekend away in the countryside, staying in a converted stable in Devon. After cooking a delicious roast dinner and making an apple crumble from scratch, Matt asked me if I wanted to get married. Of course, I said yes!"
The couple planned an East London wedding, walking down the aisle to Loreen's "Euphoria" and opting for rainbow cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake. However, when it came to the ceremony itself, they made a bold decision. Despite equal marriage being legalized in the UK three years prior, they chose to have a civil partnership instead.
The pair met on a dating app in 2016 and their civil partnership also coincided with Freedom to Marry Day, which takes place on February 12 and promotes same-sex marriage. This day holds significant meaning for the LGBTQ+ community, as the fight for equal marriage has been a long and difficult battle around the world.
In fact, even in 2025, there are still 64 countries where homosexuality is criminalized and same-sex marriage is illegal in many of those places. Even in countries where it is legal, some non-heteronormative couples choose not to follow the traditional route of marriage.
To join the conversation and stay updated on LGBTQ+ news and issues, James and Matt invite others to join Metro's vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp community. With members from all over the world, it's a hub for important discussions and updates. Simply click the link and select "Join Chat" to get started.
James shares his personal views on marriage and the historical oppression that he believes is associated with it. "As someone who came out as gay at the age of 18, I rejected the heteronormative values that were ingrained in me through my Catholic upbringing. Marriage, in my eyes, has been used as a tool of oppression throughout history. Therefore, it was important to me that our wedding was not religious in any way. A civil partnership gave us the option to have a non-religious ceremony while still granting us the same legal privileges."
During the planning of their civil partnership, Australia was also debating the legalization of same-sex marriage. The government chose to put it to a public vote, which James describes as "awful" for the LGBTQ+ community. "Opting for a civil partnership instead of a marriage was our way of protesting against this decision," he explains. "I want to make it clear that I am not against same-sex marriage. If other queer couples want to get married, they absolutely should have that right. But for us, a civil partnership felt like a radical statement in 2017, especially since it was still not an option for heterosexual couples at the time. It was a small act of rebellion and a way to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community."
Their friends and family were supportive of their decision to have a civil partnership as a form of protest. And when same-sex marriage was finally legalized in Australia in 2017, both James and Matt were overjoyed and celebrated the news together.
Now that they have been in a civil partnership for 10 years, the couple has discussed the possibility of converting it into a marriage. "Matt is more keen on doing this, but I am happy keeping it as a civil partnership," James shares. "In fact, I have grown to have a better relationship with Catholicism and religion in general over the years. If we could find an LGBTQ+ inclusive priest or celebrant to perform the ceremony, I would be open to that idea."
As James and Matt continue to celebrate their love and their partnership, it's important to remember the history of the fight for same-sex marriage in the UK. The Homosexual Law Reform Society was founded in 1958 to campaign for the legalization of same-sex relationships. In 1967, the Sexual Offences Act decriminalized sex between men over the age of 21, but it wasn't until 1971 that the Nullity of Marriage Act explicitly banned same-sex marriages in England and Wales.
The first Pride protest was held in London in 1972, attended by 2,000 people. It wasn't until 1980 that sex between two men over the age of 21 was decriminalized in Scotland. With the legalization of same-sex marriage in both the UK and Australia, James and Matt reflect on how far the LGBTQ+ community has come, but also acknowledge that there is still work to be done in many parts of the world.
James and Matt's love story began in 2016 when they matched on a dating app. After two weeks of chatting, they went on their first date to an American diner and hit it off instantly. Just two months later, they made their relationship official during a trip to Stockholm to watch the Eurovision Song Contest. And on Valentine's Day of the following year, they got engaged, less than a year after meeting.
Their engagement story is as sweet as it gets. James, who is 33 and works as Metro's Assistant Platform Editor in London, shares that they were staying in a converted stable in Devon for a weekend getaway in the countryside. After cooking a delicious roast dinner and apple crumble from scratch, Matt asked James to marry him. It was a romantic and intimate moment that they will always cherish.
The couple planned to have their dream wedding in East London. They wanted to walk down the aisle together to Loreen's Euphoria and have rainbow cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake. However, when it came to the ceremony, they made a bold decision. Despite equal marriage being legal in the UK for three years, they chose to have a civil partnership instead.
Their decision was influenced by the fact that same-sex marriage was still not legal in many countries around the world. As an initiative to promote same-sex marriage, they also celebrated Freedom to Marry Day on February 12. James shares that even though progress has been made, there are still 64 countries where homosexuality is criminalized and same-sex marriage is illegal.
Joining Metro's LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp has been a great way for James and Matt to stay updated on the latest news and important issues facing the community. With thousands of members from all over the world, it's a vibrant and supportive space.
James, who came out as gay at the age of 18, has always rejected the "heteronormative values" that he was taught as part of his Catholic upbringing. He believes that marriage, historically, has been oppressive and wanted their wedding to be a non-religious affair. A civil partnership allowed them to have a ceremony that was meaningful to them while still having the legal privileges of marriage.
At the time of their civil partnership in 2017, Australia, where James is originally from, was debating whether to legalize same-sex marriage. The government opted for a public vote, putting the LGBTQ+ community through a difficult and unnecessary process. For James and Matt, choosing a civil partnership was also a form of protest against this decision.
Their friends and family were very supportive of their decision to have a civil partnership as a way to protest against the unequal treatment of same-sex couples. And when same-sex marriage was finally legalized in Australia in 2017, they celebrated with their friends, finally feeling a sense of relief after years of fighting for equality.
Now, with same-sex marriage being legal in both the UK and Australia, the couple has discussed converting their civil partnership into a marriage. Matt is more keen on the idea, but James is content with their civil partnership. Over time, James has developed a better relationship with Catholicism and is open to the idea of having an LGBTQ+ inclusive priest or celebrant perform their ceremony.
The fight for same-sex marriage has been a long and difficult one. It started in 1958 with the founding of the Homosexual Law Reform Society, and it wasn't until 2014 that same-sex marriage was finally legalized in the UK. However, the fight is far from over, with many countries still not recognizing same-sex marriage. But James and Matt's love story is a reminder that love knows no boundaries and that every couple deserves the right to marry the person they love.
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