Tag Archives: same-sex marriage

Over 800 same-sex couples have taken their new right to tie the knot since equal marriage has been legalised in Scotland. Figures just released by National Records of Scotland show that 829 same-sex couples married in Scotland between 16th December 2014 and 31st March 2015. That’s 367 in December, and 462 in January to March. One in eight marriage in Scotland ...

The Scottish Episcopal Church is to vote next week on whether to set in motion a process for allowing its clergy to wed same-sex couples. Legislation allowing for same-sex marriage came into effect on 31st December 2014, but to date the traditional church denominations have not revisited their own definitions of marriage. Both the Church of Scotland and the Roman ...

The Church of Scotland has voted to allow the ordination of clergy in same-sex marriages – but only if its presbyteries agree. Representatives at the Kirk’s General Assembly in Edinburgh, who voted on Saturday to give congregations the opportunity to appoint gay clergy in civil partnerships, made a decision to only extend this to those in same-sex marriages if a ...

A former Church of Scotland moderator has spoken of his hope that gay people would be able to get married in the Church of Scotland during his lifetime. The Very Rev Andrew McLellan, who is 70, was speaking to the Press and Journal of his frustration at the Kirk’s inability to move “much faster” to catch up with the new ...

In the last couple of days a great deal has been made of the Church of Scotland’s decision to allow people in civil partnerships to serve as deacons and ministers. This follows the appointment of the Rev Scott Rennie to Queens Cross Church in Aberdeen six years ago, and the recent vote of the Church’s 45 presbyteries to approve the ...

The Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, and her Irish partner Jen Wilson, have urged Irish voters to back same-sex marriage in the forthcoming referendum. Ireland will take to the polls on 22nd May in a referendum that appears too close to call, almost two decades after homosexuality was finally decriminalised in the Republic. The issue of same-sex marriage has loomed ...

Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed Caroline Dinenage to serve as the new equalities minister. Mr Cameron confirmed on twitter that she will have a dual role, and will also act as Parliamentary under secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice. The appointment is controversial as Ms Dinenage, MP for Gosport, voted against marriage equality in 2013. At the ...

A report commissioned by the Church of Scotland has raised concerns that ministers could potentially face legal proceedings for refusing to marry gay couples. The church’s General Assembly will consider the report at its General Assembly next month, where it will also make a final decision on the appointment of gay clergy. The report has been compiled by the church’s ...

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has issued a response to a poster from Coalition for Marriage, which criticised his role in making same-sex marriage a reality. He responded on twitter after the group released a poster claiming that “Nick Clegg forced same-sex marriage on Britain”. The Deputy Prime Minister tweeted: “Don’t think I’ve actually forced anyone into a same-sex marriage ...

An outspoken and controverial bishop will be visiting Scotland on Saturday. The Right Revd Dr Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham, has been a vocal supporter of marriage equality and LGBTI rights more generally.  He is due to deliver a lecture at St John’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, on the subject of Christian Ethics. Last year, he told Pink News that “allowing ...