Scottish government considering gay marriage compromise

{jcomments off}The Scottish government is reportedly considering a compromise which would still allow gay marriages to take place but would take into account some religious opposition to same-sex marriage.

According to reports the SNP is considering a deal which would introduce gay marriage to Scotland but crucially would mean ceremonies would not take place on religious premises. The deal would be a compromise for those religious organisations – such as the Catholic Church – which have strong opposition to gay marriage.

However, the compromise isn’t likely to go down well with other religious organisations who have actively campaigned for the introduction of same-sex marriage. Religious groups such as Quakers, Liberal Jews, Pagans and the Humanist Association have all called for same-sex marriage to be legalised.

The Catholic Church in Scotland has also been widely criticised for its vocal opposition to same-sex marriage. The language used by some of its members has come under fire as has its attempts to claim that the SNP would risk losing hundreds of thousands of votes if they legalised gay marriage.

Opinion polls in Scotland have placed public support for gay marriage at 61%. The SNP government is not expected to announce its decision on the legalisation of same-sex marriage until Spring 2012.