Florida Agenda

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – The senior Roman Catholic prelate in Scotland is calling for a referendum on plans to legalize same-sex marriage in the country. On Sunday, Cardinal Keith O’Brien urged the Scottish Government to hold a popular vote, because of “intense public interest” over the issue.

The most recent parliamentary session, which ended last December, resulted in an overwhelming response from both sides of the debate when Scotland’s regional government announced that it “tends towards the view” that same-sex marriage should be legalized, with exceptions made for churches.

The government expects to roll out plans for proposed legislation to advance same-sex marriage this week. Cardinal O’Brien, who leads the country’s Roman Catholics, said, “Clearly, if it is sensible to hold a referendum on independence, it is crucial that we have one on marriage. It is the only way the country can move forward on this issue. Let all those who have a view on this subject place their trust in the Scottish people and let Scotland decide.”

Cardinal O’Brien previously described the change to recognize gay marriage as “madness.” Last week, he authorized funds to support the campaign by Scotland For Marriage against same-sex marriage, saying, “Marriage is under threat and politicians need to know the Catholic Church will bear any burden and meet any cost in its defence.”

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM – A coalition of faith groups in Scotland has roundly condemned the religious ban on marriage equality as “discriminatory,” claiming that it “reinforces homophobia.”

Faith in Marriage—which 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—has initiated a campaign to convince the Scottish Parliament to lift the country’s ban on religious same-sex marriage. In addition to the groups named above, the organization has the support of clergy from the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church.

The letter, copies of which were distributed by Faith in Marriage representatives to Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), called for an end to the prohibition and demanded the right to perform gay marriages. “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,” it read.

Echoed Rev. Scott McKenna, a Church of Scotland minister from Edinburgh: “In opposing equality, churches reinforce homophobia in society and that can lead to pain, low self-respect and, in some cases, violence. In the end this is about people who are on the receiving end of prejudice and are suffering because of that. The cycle needs to be broken.”

The letter says that the organization and its members will “strongly oppose” any efforts to limit same-sex marriage to civil ceremonies. Faith in Marriage is calling for MSPs to “protect and extend” freedom of religion and faith by “giving those religious and humanist bodies that do want to conduct same-sex marriage the right to do so” in future legislation.

Faith in Marriage’s campaign follows on the heels of an anti-gay marriage initiative from opponents Scotland for Marriage, a coalition that includes members of the United Free Church of Scotland, the Church of Scotland, the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland, CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) for Scotland, The Christian Institute, the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches in Scotland, and the Christian Brethren in Scotland.

It also has the support of Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. The group claims that marriage equality will “dismantle marriage which has only ever meant the union of a man and a woman.”

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Organizers of a gay health race in Glasgow have asked Brad Pitt to start the event.

Charity Gay Men’s Health has written to the film star to ask if he will signal the start of the race in Kelvingrove Park on August 19th.

Pitt, who is a gay rights supporter, is due to be in the city for filming that day, the Herald reports.

Tom Lusk, the community development manager for Gay Men’s Health, wrote to Pitt to say: “We are aware that you have been fairly outspoken on same-sex marriages and

your belief that they should be recognized in every democratic society.

“To that end, we wondered if you consider flagging off the start of the race. If you wanted to take part, then of course that would not be an issue.”

The star once said he would marry girlfriend Angelina Jolie when everyone has the right to wed and has donated money to the fight to preserve gay  marriage in California.

Earlier this month, he said: “It is encouraging that New York has joined the movement to grant equal marriage rights to its citizens.

“But it is each American’s Constitutional right to marry the person they love, no matter what state they inhabit. No state should decide who can marry and who cannot.”