Gay marriages now have approval from Scotland too
6 Feb 2014 6:34 AM IST
The Scottish government, which will hold a referendum on independence from Britain in September, said passing the same-sex marriage bill was an important step for equal rights and paved the way for same-sex wedding ceremonies later this year.
The move was opposed by the Scottish Catholic Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland but the law will not compel religious institutions to hold ceremonies on their premises.
The approval, in a vote of 105 to 18 in Scotland’s devolved parliament, follows similar legislation passed by the British parliament last year that allows same-sex marriage in England and Wales, with the first weddings to take place from 29 March.
Scotland Health Secretary Alex Neil said it was ‘right that same sex couples should be able to freely express their love and commitment to each other through getting married’.
‘Marriage is about love, and that has always been at the heart of this issue,’ Neil said in a statement.
Gay campaigners said the vote was a milestone for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in Scotland and welcomed the Scottish government’s efforts to advance the approval from an expected time frame of 2015. Currently in Scotland, same-sex couples can enter into civil partnerships.
‘This is a profoundly emotional moment for many people who grew up in a country where being gay was still a criminal offence until 1980,’ Tom French, policy coordinator for the Equality Network, said in a statement.
The legislation to allow same-sex marriage first entered the Scottish parliament for debate in June last year despite opposition from church and other religious groups.
The move was opposed by the Scottish Catholic Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland but the law will not compel religious institutions to hold ceremonies on their premises.
The approval, in a vote of 105 to 18 in Scotland’s devolved parliament, follows similar legislation passed by the British parliament last year that allows same-sex marriage in England and Wales, with the first weddings to take place from 29 March.
Scotland Health Secretary Alex Neil said it was ‘right that same sex couples should be able to freely express their love and commitment to each other through getting married’.
‘Marriage is about love, and that has always been at the heart of this issue,’ Neil said in a statement.
Gay campaigners said the vote was a milestone for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in Scotland and welcomed the Scottish government’s efforts to advance the approval from an expected time frame of 2015. Currently in Scotland, same-sex couples can enter into civil partnerships.
‘This is a profoundly emotional moment for many people who grew up in a country where being gay was still a criminal offence until 1980,’ Tom French, policy coordinator for the Equality Network, said in a statement.
The legislation to allow same-sex marriage first entered the Scottish parliament for debate in June last year despite opposition from church and other religious groups.
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