Kezia Dugdale: LGBT Rights Progress in Scotland Remains “Fragile”

Kezia Dugdale, a former leader of Scottish Labour, has stated that advancements in LGBT rights within the country are “fragile.” She also disclosed that she continues to survey her environment before holding her wife’s hand in public. Ms. Dugdale married Jenny Gilruth, the SNP Education Secretary, in 2022. In an article for the Scottish Sun On Sunday, the former MSP noted that she and her wife are among over 10,000 couples who have benefited from the Scottish parliament’s 2014 decision to permit same-sex marriage. Ms. Dugdale commented that Scotland has achieved “incredible” progress since that time. However, she further stated: “Progress is fragile. Ask yourself if you’ve ever paused to check your surroundings before holding your partner’s hand on a night out.” She added, “I still do – every single time.” Ms. Dugdale, currently serving as associate director at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy, asserted that the legislative change a decade ago, which enabled same-sex couples to marry, had “delivered equality.” She also indicated that it demonstrated gay people “are not something different, something other, something less.” She emphasized that a decade of equal marriage represents “a real milestone in our country’s recent history because it shows us how much progress we’ve made.” Ms. Dugdale further commented: “Gay people like me felt safer and more emboldened to live our lives openly.” Although she cast her vote in favour of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act at Holyrood ten years ago, Ms. Dugdale expressed “shame” that she was not openly gay at that point. She stated: “I was one of the 129 MSPs who voted on the legislation back in 2014 and I did so from the depths of my closet.” She continued, “To my shame now, I wasn’t out because I didn’t think I could be. “I thought there would be a professional price paid for talking about who I loved and who I wanted to be with.” The legislation received approval with 105 MSPs voting for it and 18 against, with no abstentions recorded. Among those who opposed the bill, seven belonged to the SNP, eight were Conservatives, and three were Labour MSPs. Ms. Dugdale explained that her decision to maintain privacy regarding her sexuality stemmed from “growing up with the Aids crisis on the TV and the vilification of gay people that came with it.” However, she noted a contrast with the present day, observing that “gay characters in soap operas are 10 a penny” and “schools have LGBT clubs where kids are encouraged and supported to be who they are.” Ms. Dugdale commented: “It’s light years of progress, but it doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by the passage of acts of law like the Equal Marriage Act.” The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 became effective on 16 December 2014, aligning Scotland with England and Wales, where marriage for same-sex couples had been permissible since March of that year. From that date until the close of September this year, a total of 10,138 same-sex couples have married. Data from the National Records of Scotland, analyzed up to the end of September this year, indicates that same-sex marriages have occurred across all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities. Edinburgh recorded the highest number of same-sex marriages, with 1,853. Glasgow ranked second with 1,402, and Dumfries and Galloway placed third with 1,379, attributed to Gretna’s popularity as a wedding location. July, August, and September are identified as the most favored months for weddings. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.