The Herald has a helpful story today (page 3, actually) about the movement that is building in Scotland for Equal Marriage. Equal Marriage means opening up marriage to same-sex couples on the same basis as opposite-sex couples. It also means that anyone who can currently conduct weddings should be able to conduct weddings on the same basis for same-sex couples as opposite sex couples and in the same locations. In short it means no discrimination in law between gay couples and straight couples wanting to get married. (Anything else ain’t Equal Marriage).
Anyway, the article can be found here. There’s a pic of me taken yesterday in St Mary’s. (No, that’s not a crown I’m wearing, its just the altarpiece behind me!)
There is an interesting allusion to a poll conducted by the Scottish Green Party:
A poll of 1000 Scottish adults conducted on behalf of the Scottish Green Party in April found that 58% agreed that same sex couples should have the right to marry, while 19% disagreed.
The bits quoting me are as follows:
The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, provost of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow, said he was strongly supportive of the idea. He said: “Anyone who can marry a couple currently should be able to marry same sex-couples.
“This is about justice for everyone. Civil partnerships have been a wonderful thing, but they are not equal; being separate isn’t being equal and the Government would be wise to move towards equality as soon as possible.â€
He said the argument that allowing gay marriage could threaten the institution of marriage, was “a silly ideaâ€. “I don’t think any gay couple have ever made a married couple feel less married,†he said.
There is also an editorial
Equality of treatment under the law is a much-vaunted bedrock of British society. So is marriage. Those who argue that the concept of marriage is weakened by extending it to gay and lesbian couples should consider whether the opposite might be true and that allowing same-sex couples to marry would be a public statement of support for the values they rightly cherish.
Hi, many thanks for standing up for marriage equality. It is brilliant that there are Anglican voices for change and full equality. Best wishes for the campaign in Scotland.
Hmm, just read the other post about the CofE and realised that calling you an “Anglican” is probably a faux pas, sorry about that, but anyway well done for standing up for equality.
Thanks Yewtree – no its not a faux pas – I really am an Anglican. I’m sometimes embarrassed by what that word has come to represent, but as a Scottish Episcopalian its perfectly in order to refer to me as also an Anglican.
We tried to be Episcopalians when we became an autonomous province, but alas, the Mexican government made us use Anglican instead, in order to be recognized legally as a Religious Association. The government thought that la Iglesia Episcopal de México was too similar to the Roman Catholic bishop’s conference, la Conferencia Episcopal de México. So we are officially la Iglesia Anglicana de México, AR.
I am sure that the hand of God influenced where you stood for the photo so your Crown of Glory augmented your Cope of Glory.
My eyes fill with tears whenever I watch this video of the new marriage equality in Argentina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BDOOvu5luk&feature=player_embedded
Would I be alone, Kelvin, in asking why you dressed up for the press on this issue? I may agree with your argument, but I’m uncomfortable with your presentation.
I’m dressed in the photograph in the same way that I dress when conducting weddings, which is the theme of the article.
It was time for a new photo in the papers, too.
(though I suspect they could have used the one from the wedding fair a couple of years back)