In a landmark moment for LGBT rights the Scottish Parliament has passed the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill with an overwhelming majority of 105 votes to 18.
Thirty-four years after Scotland decriminalized homosexuality, this victory comes after heated debates between religious bodies and MSPs (members of the Scottish Parliament) since the first petition was drawn up in 2009. The marriage equality bill was formally introduced in the Scottish Parliament in June 2013, which eventually passed stage one of voting with a 98-15 victory with 5 abstentions in November 2013, and today finally passed with a victory of 105-18 with no abstentions.
Equality Network, an advocacy group that works for LGBT equality and human rights in Scotland said in a statement: “We are delighted that Scotland has become the 17th country to legalize same sex marriage nationwide.
“This is an opportunity to celebrate the significant progress that has been made and to recognize all the work that generations of LGBT people in Scotland have put into fighting for equal rights over the course of many decades to get us to this point.
“Achieving equality under the law doesn’t guarantee an end to the barriers, prejudice and discrimination that LGBT people continue to face in society. And there is still a great deal of progress to be made in order to achieve full legal equality for trans and intersex people. So we will continue to work tirelessly to bring about equality in law, and in policy and practice, for all LGBT people.
“As six years of campaigning for equal marriage draws to an end, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Equal Marriage campaign over that time, and all those who have supported our work for LGBT equality in Scotland over the past 17 years.”
