The Equality Network has submitted detailed written evidence to the Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee, on the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill. We welcomed the bill, and explained why equal marriage is so important. We suggested a number of small but important changes, mostly around trans and intersex equality, including to deal with the issue of spousal consent to gender recognition. We explained why the bill already provides freedom of religion and freedom of speech, and needs no further changes in those areas.

We also emphasised the importance of the Scottish Government’s review of civil partnership law and restated the need to allow mixed-sex civil partnership. And we noted the importance of the UK Government’s review of the discrimination that still exists in pension schemes, and the need for that discrimination to end.

Our full evidence submission is here.

The submission by the Scottish Transgender Alliance, based at the Equality Network, has more detail on the trans-related amendments that are needed.

Many people and organisations submitted evidence, and the submissions will be published soon on the Equal Opportunities Committee’s web pages.

On Thursday September 5th we will be giving oral evidence to the Equal Opportunities Committee. More details will become available nearer the time on the Committee’s web pages.