"Compared to the way gay men and women were treated in the past, it might
appear trivial, but for gay people to really be equal, we have to be in
relationships which don't carry shame or insight fear. If I were to
hold my boyfriend's hand in public, people would stare at us. They'd try
not to, but they would. If I did it in the wrong part of town, or
around the wrong people, the reaction would be a lot worse - not an easy
situation to pre-empt. Equal marriage is a landmark moment in gay
rights, but there is work still to be done when it comes to changing
attitudes about what a relationship is, and normalising affection that
for straight people is a given."
Rich Hawkins
