The Scottish government has announced
plans to legalize gay marriage by 2015, possibly making it the first
part of the UK to legalize such unions.
The move comes after the SNP government
held a consultation on the issue in which nearly 80,000 people
participated.
“We are committed to a Scotland that
is fair and equal and that is why we intend to proceed with plans to
allow same-sex marriage and religious ceremonies for civil
partnerships,” Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's deputy first minister,
is quoted as saying by the BBC. “We believe that this is the right
thing to do.”
“The Scottish government has already
made clear that no religious body will be compelled to conduct
same-sex marriages and we reiterate that today. Such protection is
provided under existing equality laws.”
“However, our view is that to give
certainly on protection for individual celebrants taking a different
view from a religious body that does agree to conduct same-sex
marriages, an amendment will be required to the UK Equality Act,”
she added.
The Catholic Church in Scotland
strongly criticized the move, saying the government was “embarking
on a dangerous social experiment on a massive scale.”
“We strongly suspect that time will
show the Church to have been completely correct in explaining that
same-sex sexual relationships are detrimental to any love expressed
within profound friendships,” a spokesman for the church said.
Scotland currently recognizes the
relationships of gay and lesbian couples with civil partnerships.
Britain and Wales are also debating the
issue.