Same-sex Marriage
In September 2011, the Scottish Government announced a consultation on legalising same-sex marriage. The Government's initial view was stated to be in favour of legalisation of both civil and religious same-sex marriage, but allowing religious bodies to opt-out of performing same-sex marriages if they so wished.
This consultation provoked widespread debate and garnered 50,000 responses. The gathered over 20,000 responses in favour of the change with a significant majority (18,500) submitted via the Equality Network's Equal Marriage consultation website. Scotland For Marriage, a coalition of religious bodies opposed to the change, submitted around 20,000 postcards to the Scottish Government in addition to a 9,000 signature petition.
After analysis of the responses, the Scottish Government announced it intended to go ahead with the legalisation of same-sex marriages, though with plans to put in safeguards to prevent religious bodies that do not wish to carry out such ceremonies from being prosecuted. They found that, of respondents in Scotland, 36% of those were in favour and 64% against the proposals when considering all submissions - standard responses, postcards and petitions. When standard responses alone were considered, 65% were in favour and 35% against the proposals.
Read more about this topic: Marriage In Scotland
Famous quotes containing the word marriage:
“Who of us is mature enough for offspring before the offspring themselves arrive? The value of marriage is not that adults produce children but that children produce adults.”
—Peter De Vries (20th century)