The first same-sex marriages have taken place in Scotland following a change in the law by the Scottish government, reports the BBC.
Those in civil partnerships can have their status converted to marriage after the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act came into force today.
Couples who were not previously in a registered civil partnership are permitted to register their intent to marry now. They will be able to proceed with ceremonies following the usual 15 day notice period, meaning couples registering today will be able to wed as early as December 31.
Scotland’s new law also affords better protections for the transgender community. Previously, transgender individuals wishing to transition had to first divorce their spouse. This complicated the process and allowed for spouse’s to block transitions. The new marriage law eliminates this barrier and also allows for the use of gender neutral pronouns during the ceremony as well as on forms.
Rachel Ormston of ScotCen Social Research told Pink News, “Increasingly we are witnessing a consensus in favor of same-sex marriage emerging in Scotland.”
