The news was present to capture the special moments, capturing the feeling that “something shifted in human affairs” on that day.
In 1989, it was a step into the unknown, but in 2024, it would appear ordinary in many parts of the world. The Danish parliament passed a law allowing gay people to form registered partnerships in May of that year. Eleven couples showed up at Copenhagen’s city hall dressed to impress five months later for an unprecedented civil ceremony. While it wasn’t quite the same as marriage, it was nevertheless a huge step toward equality.
The religion and ethics show, Heart of the Matter, was available to film the event because the idea itself was so unique at the time. Joan Bakewell, the host of the program, summarized the discussion by asking, “The main question is, how does the idea of marriage change for the rest of us if one nation stops viewing it as a union between one man and one woman? Furthermore, wouldn’t Britain eventually be impacted if one European nation was able to enact such a law?” Her second inquiry would remain unanswered for an additional sixteen years.
