Danny Beard On Same-Sex Love and Marriage is a new podcast celebrating same-sex love stories.
BBC local radio is launching the podcast to mark the tenth anniversary of the legalisation of same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
The five-part series looks at 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. Danny is currently single and 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.
Among those featured in the series are the first gay couple to get married in England in March 2014 and a lesbian couple who 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.
One man from Saudi Arabia, with 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.
Danny says: “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 adds: “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.”
Chris Burns, Controller Local Audio Commissioning, commented: “Local BBC Radio is extremely happy to mark this anniversary and share the real-life stories and struggles people faced then and continue to do now. This is a timely commission with an important message to reflect and deliver across all our platforms.”
Danny Beard On Same Sex Love and Marriage is available on BBC Sounds from today, Thursday 8 June and will also be broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester.
