In a ceremony at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel last month, Equality Network won the Herald Society Campaigner of the Year award for their Equal Marriage campaign. The Equality Network, a leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality charity in Scotland, competed in a strong field alongside fellow nominees Shelter Scotland and Oxfam Scotland, to win the accolade in recognition of their efforts to secure equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
The Equal Marriage campaign has been working to bring about equal marriage rights for LGBT people in Scotland since 2007. By spring this year the Equality Network had secured a majority of MSPs in favour of same sex marriage and put the issue firmly on the political agenda.
Tim Hopkins, Director of the Equality Network, said:
“We are deeply grateful to the Herald Society judges for recognising the work of the Equal Marriage campaign. The efforts of partner organisations and volunteers in the campaign all over Scotland has helped bring us to the point where the Scottish Parliament will be able to vote on a bill for same-sex marriage in the next year. We hope and trust that MSPs will support equality and bring fairness to many thousands of families across Scotland.”
Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, added:
“We are honoured that our Equal Marriage campaign has been recognised for the contribution it has made to Scottish Society. While the Scottish Government’s decision to introduce same sex marriage is founded on principles of equality, I don’t think they would have been at the point of legislating without the momentum of the Equal Marriage campaign.”
Collecting the award on behalf of the Equality Network, Nathan Gale, Project Development Worker for the Equality Network, said:
“I was extremely proud to represent the Equality Network at today’s ceremony. The award is a great achievement, but we still have a long way to go to ensure the legislation is passed and that it represents true marriage equality for LGBT people.”
The Scottish Government will be publishing a consultation on the draft Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill later this month.
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