Equality campaigners lobbying for gay marriage and equality in society yesterday took their petition to Holyrood. There, in front of the parliament building, they held a staged ceremony for Jay and Ruth Richards-Hill with supporters looking on. Speaking afterwards, the couple said they believed that it was wrong for them to be able to be married in Cape Town, but that the marriage is not recognised when they stepped off the plane in Edinburgh.
Adding that equality cuts both ways, they said that The Scottish Government should not be swayed by one religion but all voices.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who play a part in educating the LGBT community in safe sex, said that it was about equality recognition. They maintained that “it is crazy that if someone wants to change their gender and is married, they must get divorced first before remarrying.”
The measures currently before the Scottish Government to introduce gay marriage have broad support, with a ratio of 8 to 1 MSPs promising to vote for it. Polls suggest a high percentage of the Scottish people are also in favour, although the results of the Scottish Government consultation will not be released until later in the month.
Tom French, Policy Co-ordinator of the Equality Network, said that this was an important time for the Scottish Cabinet about to make a decision. He explained the drive to put together a petition containing 10,000 signatures and also 25,000 signed postcards.
Photos by Thomas Haywood Photography
Thomas Haywood is a freelance photographer producing great royalty-free images in Scotland.
