Same-sex marriage rally hits Holyrood

The event, held yesterday, was attended by about 150 people. Jaye and Ruth, a Christian couple from Glasgow, were “married” in a ceremony by Rev Jane Clarke of the Metropolitan Community Church.

Afterwards, protestors handed in a 10,000-signature petition to MSPs and letter to the First Minister. The Equality Network, which organised the event, said most people in Scotland supported legalising gay marriage.

Rev Clarke, said: “My Church, like many others, wants the right to conduct same-sex  marriages. For us, this is an  issue of equality and religious freedom.

The event comes as the government prepares to publish the results of its consultation on the issue. Currently, the law in Scotland allows civil partnerships, but not marriage, between couples of the same sex.

Proposals to legalise gay marriage resulted in the biggest response to any government consultation, and ignited a debate between gay rights supporters and the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien said bishops will drum up support on a so-called Support Marriage Sunday on 26 August.

“We will use this opportunity to remind Catholics of the importance of marriage as a union of a man and a woman and to urge them to be generous in contributing to a special collection, which will be used to support initiatives in defence of marriage,” he said.