Scotland legalises same-sex marriage

Yesterday,  Scotland became the 17th country to legalize same-sex marriage. With 105 Scottish MPs voting in favour of the bill compared to just 18 voting against, Scotland has clearly joined the growing ranks of countries that recognise same-sex marriage comprising the likes of England, Brazil, New Zealand, Norway, Canada and some states in America.

The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales are likely to take place as early as March, whilst it won’t be until October when same-sex marriage occurs in Scotland. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that has yet to consider any same-sex marriage laws.

The Scottish Bill will require religious bodies to “opt in” to perform same-sex marriages and can take place anywhere other than religious premises. The issue will become complicated if religious bodies refuse to “opt in” to perform marriages, especially as the bill also protects the rights of ‘celebrants’ who believe it would go against their faith to conduct a same-sex marriage.

As Sex and the City’s bisexual actress Cynthia Nixon said, “When women got the vote, they did not redefine voting. When African-Americans got the right to sit at a lunch counter alongside white people, they did not redefine eating out. They were simply invited to the table.”

Image courtesy of blogs.eui.eu