Gay pride

I was delighted to learn that Luxembourg has sworn in its first openly gay prime minister, Xavier Bettel (your report, 6 December).

His Democratic Party is to form a coalition with the Greens and Socialist parties and Etienne Schneider, head of the Socialist party and also openly gay, was named deputy prime minister.

Belgium’s current premier, Elio Di Rupo, is gay and Iceland too has had a gay leader in the past.

Xavier Bettel has resolved to legislate for marriage equality within a year, to remove biblical references in the public school curriculum and develop a course to teach children ethics without religion.

We should be proud that fellow European countries are leading the way in removing the scourge that is religiously derived anti-gay discrimination once and for all.

Neil Barber

Saughtonhall Drive

Edinburgh