Groups back same-sex marriages

The ban on same-sex marriage is “discriminatory and reinforces homophobia”, according to Faith in Marriage, a coalition of faith groups and religious leaders.

It has launched a campaign outside the Scottish Parliament to lift the ban.

It follows the launch of a leaflet by Scotland for Marriage, another such coalition, which believes that religious same-sex unions will “dismantle marriage, which has only ever meant the union of a man and a woman”.

Faith in Marriage representatives handed over an open letter to MSPs, demanding the right to conduct same-sex marriages.

It stated: “We believe that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people should be entitled to full equality under the law, and that the current ban on same-sex marriage is discriminatory and reinforces homophobia in society.”

Faith in Marriage includes members of the United Reformed Church, the Quakers, the Unitarians, Liberal Judaism, the Humanists, the Iona Community, Buddhists, the Open Episcopal Church, the Metropolitan Community Church and the Pagan Federation. It has the support of ministers from the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church.