Many Brons have changed their mds on gay marriage

Contents:

• STTISH PARLIAMENT PASS GAY MARRIAGE BILL
• STLAND'S GAY MARRIAGE BILL PUBLISHED AT HOLYROOD
• MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

STTISH PARLIAMENT PASS GAY MARRIAGE BILL

The Equali and Human Rights Commtee heard om human rights and fay law experts, lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr groups, fah and belief groups, women’s groups and other profsnal bodi. Young LGBT people would no longer live fear of beg outed as gay, lbian or bisexual if they revealed that they were a civil partnership, and transgenr civil partners who are seekg a genr regnn certifite would no longer need to end their relatnship. Civil partnerships were troduced across the UK for same-sex upl only by the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which was nsired by the Governments of the day to be a signifint social advance, even though nied gay people equaly.

STLAND'S GAY MARRIAGE BILL PUBLISHED AT HOLYROOD

Unr the bill, relig bodi Stland that wish to perform gay marriag n “opt ” to do so.

MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

Legislatn to allow gay marriage England and Wal was passed July last year. Media ptn, MSPs appld after plans to allow same-sex marriag passed by 105 vot to 18A bill which allows same-sex weddgs to take place Stland has been passed by MSPs the Sttish voted by 105 to 18 favour of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Stland) Sttish ernment said the move was the right thg to do but Stland's two ma church were opposed to first gay and lbian weddgs uld take place this tumn.

Misters said no part of the relig muny would be forced to hold such ceremoni source, PAImage ptn, Equal Marriage mpaigners gathered outsi the Sttish ParliamentDurg a bate at Holyrood, MSPs rejected amendments which were said to provi "protectn" for groups and dividuals opposed to same-sex SNP's John Mason tabled an amendment statg that no-one uld be "pelled by any means" to solemnise gay marriage, cludg by a ntract or a legal Mason said that this was siar to a measure clud the bill passed by the UK Parliament allowg same-sex marriage England and Secretary Alex Neil sisted there were "robt protectns for relig bodi and celebrants" the bill and the amendment was Mason tabled further amendments, cludg one llg for regnn that "a belief marriage as a voluntary unn between one man and one woman to the excln of all others for life is a belief worthy of rpect a mocratic society" said: "This has been the prevailg view Stland for centuri, and may now be nsired a mory view or even old fashned, but is an tegral te of fah for many Christians, Mlims and others as well as the belief of many of no fah posn at all.

'Not far enough' Mr Neil said passg the bill meant "a historic day the history of the Sttish Parliament", which received the ont-bench backg of Labour's Jackie Baillie and Conservative Jackson rights anisatns, cludg the Equaly Network and Stonewall Stland, and a range of other groups, have supported the the Sttish Catholic Church and Church of Stland oppose the move, and have said they have no plans to nduct same-sex the mpaign group Stland for Marriage said the safeguards the bill did not go far source, PAImage ptn, Those agast the move to troduce gay marriage protted outsi HolyroodKey measur the Sttish ernment's bill clu:Relig and belief bodi opt to perform same-sex marriage ceremoni n take place anywhere agreed by the registrar and the uple, other than relig premis. Provisn makg clear that the troductn of same-sex marriage has no impact on existg rights to eedom of speech and that is possible to oppose same-sex marriage "whout beg homophobic".

Quakers have mpaigned favour of same-sex marriage and have said they would allow ceremoni to take place on their relig groups which back change clu Buddhists and the Pagan Church of Stland - whose lg General Assembly last year voted to allow actively gay men and women to bee misters - has said the stutn stood agast homophobia, but add that the "wi spread of opn" on gay marriage was reflected among members of ngregatns across the well as the ma bill, Sttish misters have also reached an agreement wh the UK ernment for an amendment to the 2010 Equaly Act. Wtmster's Marriage Act which beme law last July, will allow relig anisatns to "opt " to offerg weddgs, wh the Church of England and Church Wal banned law om dog Church of England, the Church Wal and other fah groups have stated their opposn to gay marriage. LONDON (Rters) - Stland voted overwhelmgly on Tuday to allow same-sex marriag, beg the 17th untry to give the green light to gay marriage spe opposn om s ma church Sttish ernment, which will hold a referendum on pennce om Bra September, said passg the same-sex marriage bill was an important step for equal rights and paved the way for same-sex weddg ceremoni later this move was opposed by the Sttish Catholic Church and the Prbyterian Church of Stland but the law will not pel relig stutns to hold ceremoni on their approval, a vote of 105 to 18 Stland’s volved parliament, follows siar legislatn passed by the Brish parliament last year that allows same-sex marriage England and Wal, wh the first weddgs to take place om March 29.

“Marriage is about love, and that has always been at the heart of this issue, ” Neil said a mpaigners said the vote was a tone for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr equaly Stland and weled the Sttish ernment’s efforts to advance the approval om an expected time ame of 2015. “This is a profoundly emotnal moment for many people who grew up a untry where beg gay was still a crimal offence until 1980, ” Tom French, policy ordator for the Equaly Network, said a legislatn to allow same-sex marriage first entered the Sttish parliament for bate June last year spe opposn om church and other relig the law, civil marriage ceremoni n take place any place agreed between the uple and the registrar, other than relig premis. ”The UK ernment’s plans to legalise gay marriage cleared the Hoe of Commons last have been takg place wh the UK ernment bee misters at Holyrood believe an amendment is need to UK equali legislatn to protect dividual celebrants who may not want to nduct same-sex ceremoni even if their church backs Neil said “substantial progrs” has been ma on the issue discsns wh UK Culture Secretary Maria Miller.

”Labour’s Drew Smh asked Mr Neil when gay upl Stland would be able to get married, and if he thought the first weddgs “would take place before or after the September 2014 referendum” Neil said: “I’m not thkg terms of a referendum, rather the prcipl of the bill. Stland's Health Secretary Alex Neil said the publitn of the same-sex marriage legislatn marked a "historic moment for Stland and for equal rights our untry" Sttish ernment proposals also aim to protect the rights of relig celebrants and groups who are opposed to allowg gay upl to Neil told BBC Rad Stland's Good Morng Stland programme: "We are strivg to create a Stland that is fairer and more tolerant, where everyone is treated equally. "He said he had published the guil to "ensure a nsistency of approach by prosecutors across Stland cidg whether is the public tert to prosecute a se where ments are ma eher opposn to or support of same-sex marriage which might be viewed as highly offensive" guidance pots out the European Conventn on Human Rights stat that all people are guaranteed the right to eedom, nscience and relign, along wh the eedom of MSP Mar Biagi, who is gay, said was now down to policians to ensure the bill "do what says on the t" ptn, Dr Gordon MacDonald: "It is not an issue of equaly bee of the legal rights of marriage now given to same-sex upl wh civil partnerships.