This is the only place left in the British Isles without same-sex marriage
View out to sea from Creux Harbour on Sark, showing fishing boats in silhouette on a grey sea with a cloudy grey sky, 21st November 2008 (Martin Godwin/Getty)
Homophobes fleeing the introduction of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland have just one place left in the British Isles they can go.
Same-sex marriage has now been made legal in England and Wales (2013), Scotland (2014), the Republic of Ireland (2015), the Isle of Man (2016), Guernsey (2017), Jersey (2018), Alderney (2018) and Northern Ireland (2019).
Sark, population 500, is last part of British Isles without same-sex marriage
However, equal marriage is yet to reach the small island of Sark in the English Channel, which is home to just 500 people.
Officially a fief within the bailiwick of Guernsey, Sark maintains its own independent legal system, overseen by its own ancient parliament, the Chief Pleas.
There’s three boats a day from Guernsey to the island (Photo by Martin Godwin/Getty Images)
Those wishing to seek refuge from gay weddings Dursley-style will have a long journey, travelling first to Guernsey, before catching one of the three boats a day onwards to Sark.
In addition to same-sex marriage, those travelling to the island will be leaving behind the modern conveniences of cars and streetlights, both of which are outlawed.
Sark is moving towards same-sex marriage.
Sadly for homophobes, even Sark seems to be getting with the times, with the Chief Pleas voting earlier this month to draft legislation on same-sex marriage.
Conseiller Peter La Trobe-Bateman said in a report on October 2: “Sark has been approached by several individuals regarding same-sex marriage being adopted on
the island.
“As society and attitudes have advanced greatly, the Committee would like Sark to be able to offer same-sex marriage on the island.”
He warned: “The legal recognition of same-sex partnership is an important issue and one which Sark must address if it is to be regarded as a jurisdiction that takes equality seriously.”
The Chief Pleas also heard that the current law “may be affecting opportunities to grow the tourist economy as Sark can offer a beautiful wedding venue for same-sex marriage”.
The proposed law would mirror Guernsey’s legislation, which permits same-sex couples to have either a civil or religious wedding, if the religious organisation “expressly opts to allow such ceremonies to take place”.
Although Sark is the last place in the British Isles without same-sex marriage, weddings are still banned in the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean.
