December 2005
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 comes into effect throughout the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, which gives samesex couples some of the rights and protections that married couples enjoy.
December 2005
Shannon Sickles and Grainne Close exchange vows at Belfast City Hall, becoming the first couple to enter into a civil union in Northern Ireland. Chris Flanagan and Henry Kane become the first male couple to have a civil union.
October 2012
The first attempt at legislating for gay marriage is defeated after the DUP tabled a ‘petition of concern’ which required the measure to obtain cross-community support. The petition is a mechanism built into Northern Irish institutions as part of the peace process, in order to rule out a return to unionist domination over politics.