Scotland has become the 17th country to legalize same-sex marriage. And, really, it wasn't even close.
Yes, by a vote of 105-18, Scotland's Parliament made it official. It evidently made a lot of onlookers very happy — though apparently not this woman giving the double thumbs down. Classy. (Via BBC)
The vote will also upset Scotland's two major churches, which have opposed the same-sex marriage bill from the start out of fear of "inadequate safeguards for religious bodies and ministers and people of faith who view this as being contrary to their beliefs." (Via Church of Scotland)
But, as Sky News shows us, there was also a lot of celebration Tuesday.
JERRY SLATER: "I'm proud of my partner here. I'm proud of Scotland. It's fantastic. What can I say?"
The law is set to go into effect this autumn. That's when Scotland's first ceremonies will take place. Scotland is, of course, part of the United Kingdom, and the legislation passed there Tuesday was much like the bill passed for England and Wales, to the south, last July.
That bill will take effect March 29, meaning the first same-sex ceremonies in the U.K. are less than two months away. (Via Euronews)
