It is public messaging but public messaging is always something which should be considered. After all, much of the public messaging that occurred for married women was 'don't divorce your husband' you can't survive without him'. Divorce was legal over here since 1850s (if instigated by a man) but by the 1920s it was legal for both parties... nobody was saying it was 'illegal' but the public messaging was very clear and came from others in society. It was a social judgment based on privately held views being made public.

Some age gap relationships are problematic, as are some divorces - but what should be prioritised is the choice to undertake whatever you like free from social interference via judgment. Change is too slow coming on matters like this from the political left/centre-left because it attempts to apply one set of rules to things it broadly approves of and another set of rules to that which it doesn't - without questioning whether the right to a judgment free life is a valid one.

The women in Iran will be spoken about for generations to come in the same way that the Pankhursts and Emily Davison are in this country. It is tough to watch but seeing feminism take root against an autocratic theocracy gives me a sense of hope for the future. :o)