It played an influential role in the campaign for marriage equality in the UK and its annual awards ceremony has attracted prime ministers and other politicians.

Greece became the first Christian orthodox country to legalize same sex marriage and Thailand passed a monumental marriage equality bill.

He had also voiced support for socially liberal policies, including marriage equality and allowing couples to have separate surnames - though he has since called for further discussion on the issues, in line with the LDP's more conservative stance.

I was covering marriage equality for the editorial board, writing several times a week about everything from gay couples’ parenting rights to the economics of same-sex weddings.

But marriage equality in California was never vindicated on its merits, just on a technicality.