Scottish government aiming to sign same sex marriage into law by March
Double evidence sessions with LGBT and religious groups to be held from Thursday
The Scottish Government is aiming to fast track the same sex marriage
bill so it is signed into law as early as March next year, reports have
indicated.
Scotland's same sex marriage bill was introduced in June this year, following pressure from Scottish Labor to bring it in sooner.
Groups such as the Scottish Transgender Alliance, Stonewall Scotland and LGBT Youth Scotland will go before the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee on Thursday (05 September) to give oral evidence in support of the bill.
Religious groups such as the Muslim Council of Scotland, the Methodist Church in Britain and the Religious Society Of Friends will also be giving evidence on the same day.
The committee is intending to use double-evidence sessions to make sure the bill is properly scrutinised before it becomes law by March.
The Scottish Transgender Alliance welcome the bill. In a statement to be presented as written evidence to the committee, they said: 'We welcome this Bill as a significant step towards greater equality for LGBT people in Scotland.
'We have campaigned for many years for the introduction of sex and gender neutral partnership rights for all and greatly welcome the introduction of same sex marriage as a significant step towards this.'
The Scottish Transgender Alliance are hoping to add protections to transgender and intersex people into the bill, including the removal of a 'spousal veto' - a provision inserted into the bill in England and Wales, which allows the partner of a married Trans person to prevent them from gender recognition.
One member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) on the committee, John Mason of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has stood against marriage equality.
Showing concern that people against same sex marriage would not be protected by the law, he has stated he wants to see protections 'for celebrants, denominations, public sector workers, third sector volunteers and others who do not agree with same-sex marriage [that] are actually deliverable.'
The SNP have been in favour for same sex marriage in the past. First Minister Alex Salmond has been vocal in his support.
Scotland's same sex marriage bill was introduced in June this year, following pressure from Scottish Labor to bring it in sooner.
Groups such as the Scottish Transgender Alliance, Stonewall Scotland and LGBT Youth Scotland will go before the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee on Thursday (05 September) to give oral evidence in support of the bill.
Religious groups such as the Muslim Council of Scotland, the Methodist Church in Britain and the Religious Society Of Friends will also be giving evidence on the same day.
The committee is intending to use double-evidence sessions to make sure the bill is properly scrutinised before it becomes law by March.
The Scottish Transgender Alliance welcome the bill. In a statement to be presented as written evidence to the committee, they said: 'We welcome this Bill as a significant step towards greater equality for LGBT people in Scotland.
'We have campaigned for many years for the introduction of sex and gender neutral partnership rights for all and greatly welcome the introduction of same sex marriage as a significant step towards this.'
The Scottish Transgender Alliance are hoping to add protections to transgender and intersex people into the bill, including the removal of a 'spousal veto' - a provision inserted into the bill in England and Wales, which allows the partner of a married Trans person to prevent them from gender recognition.
One member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) on the committee, John Mason of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has stood against marriage equality.
Showing concern that people against same sex marriage would not be protected by the law, he has stated he wants to see protections 'for celebrants, denominations, public sector workers, third sector volunteers and others who do not agree with same-sex marriage [that] are actually deliverable.'
The SNP have been in favour for same sex marriage in the past. First Minister Alex Salmond has been vocal in his support.
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