Despite the majority of Conservative MPs voting against same-sex marriage, the Ipsos MORI poll suggests that the majority of those who favour the Conservatives support same-sex marriage. 61% agreed with the principles of same-sex marriage.
However there are those in the LGBTQ community who are against same-sex marriage. Blogger and queer activist Alex Gabriel wrote an article for Politics.co.uk in December 2012, titled "Gay marriage has its queer critics, too". In the article, Alex concludes by saying that he fears other LGBTQ issues will be forgotten once same-sex marriage has been achieved.
"Of course we can address all forms of bigotry, but the persistent labelling of gay marriage's introduction as the final step to LGBT equality - including by reliable leftists like Owen Jones who should know better - suggests the worrying possibility all other crises will be forgotten once it's achieved."
Shortly after the bill was passed, there were issues with those who had civil partnerships converting them into marriage. The Government eventually announced that the date for the conversions would be 10th December 2014. Stonewall released a statement on their website with their Director of Campaigns, Sam Dick praising the government, "We're pleased that the government has finally named the date allowing those in civil partnerships to convert to marriage.
We know that thousands of couples will now be able to plan celebrations with their friends and family."
Alex however criticised Stonewall because he believed they were wrong to prioritise marriage and civil partnerships conversions over other issues such as LGBTQ homelessness, the blood ban, HIV or the rights of Trans people.
"It's been the predominant theme in LGBT activism for the last ten years or more. It's been driving other issues out of focus for much of that time."
Tony Butchart-Kelly of the LGBTQ homeless charity, The Albert Kennedy Trust said that the Trust isn't a political organisation and doesn't comment of whether LGBT issue is more important than the other.
They solely comment on issues that affect LGBTQ homelessness. He said, "We are not a lobbying organisation, so we tend not to comment on political things."
Matthew Holden, the Chief executive of GMFA (Gay Men Fighting AIDS) wrote an article in the Fit and Sexy (FS) Magazine titled "We're not equal". In the article, Matthew praises the activists who helped bring same-sex marriage into law, but said that LGBTQ people will not be equal until they are equal to heterosexuals on grounds of health. He pointed out that, "Gay men are twice as likely to be dependent on alcohol than heterosexual men. We are twice as likely to suffer from depression or anxiety with particularly high rates of suicidal ideation among young gay men.
We are more likely to smoke and so we are more likely to suffer from cancers and heart disease. Does this make you angry? It should. The number of gay men who die from smoking related illnesses alone, well over 10,000 each year, dwarfs the number of gay men who die as a result of HIV."
Matthew, unlike Alex Gabriel sees the benefit of having same-sex marriage legalized, but similarly to Alex admits that there are other issues that deserve just as much attention as same-sex marriage did.
Ben, a trainee accountant is engaged to his fiancé Jason and they are currently having a long engagement while they progress with their careers. Ben said that the idea of a civil partnership or marriage had never interested him and that he liked the idea of ad different kind of marital bond.
"The idea of marriage has never been something of interest to me - I always found marriage to be to organised for me - I'd think I'd suit some kind of bonding ritual i.e. druidic / pagan."
Matthew Todd, editor of the LGBT magazine, Attitude Magazine, wrote in their 20th anniversary edition themed around love and marriage, "The fight for equality for LGBT people continues in the UK ad Ireland and all around the world, but for now, I can't think of a better way for Attitude to mark its 20th birthday than with a celebration of the fact that we are at able to say 'I do'…"