New Year – New Scotland

Equal marriage now fully in law in Scotland

Bliadhna Mhath Ùr o Alba na Bòidhche / Happy New Year from Bonny Scotland, darlings, and sorry I’ve not been on here recently.

Well, on 31 December 2014 the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act passed fully into law, with the first marriages taking place on the stroke of midnight, when Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott were married in a civil ceremony and Joe Schofield and Malcolm Brown were wed in a Humanist ceremony, both weddings took place in Glasgow.

I am sure all my lovely friends here join me in wishing Susan and Gerrie, and Joe and Macolm, and all other same-sex couples who have wed heartiest congratulations and all the best for the future.  To any who don’t – get a life.

Susan and Gerrie’s wedding was witnessed by Scottish National Party (SNP) First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) and Patrick Harvie MSP, Convenor of the Scottish Green Party.  The involvement of the First Minister, who recently inherited the post from Alex Salmond MSP, in this wedding has drawn some amount of criticism, and not a few nasty comments, from those on the political right and the anti-independence media.  They fail to mention however that Ms Sturgeon was invited by the couple to be a witness, as a personal friend of the couple.   So shame upon the media for attempting to politicise a completely non-political and private event.

The witnesses for Joe and Malcom were Scots Makar (Scots equivalent of the English Poet Laureate) Liz Lochhead and Marco Biagi MSP.  Mr Biagi is the Scottish Government Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment, who had responsibility for bringing the new law into effect.  An openly gay man himself, Mr Biagi stated “With a New Year nearly upon us, there really is no better way to celebrate than by watching these two people get married and make that lifelong commitment to each other.  I am proud of our parliament in passing the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 and proud of Scotland and the country that we are fast becoming.”

I could not agree more.  New Year, new beginnings, new Scotland.

Luvs

Xandra xxx