Scottish LGBT rights campaigners and leading politicians have called upon Scotland’s government to publish a timetable for the introduction of a marriage equality bill.

The move comes after the UK House of Commons have voted for marriage equality; with a final vote in the House of Lords expected soon, commentators say Edinburgh is falling behind England and Wales.

Speaking with Gay Star News, Colin McFarlane, director of Stonewall Scotland commented: 'The Commons overwhelmingly voted to extend the legal form of marriage to same-sex couples in England and Wales.

Equality campaigners in Scotland warned that an anti-gay educational ban repealed in 2000 (called Section 28) could be introduced by 'stealth' as an add on to Scotland's gay marriage bill.

Stonewall, Britain’s leading gay campaign organization, has urged its supporters to contact their Members of Parliament (MPs) and ask them to support equal marriage.

The call for help comes as the UK government publishes its Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – which would equalize marriage laws in England and Wales. Separate legislation is being developed by the Scottish parliament.

The bisexual deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, one of Britain’s leading parties, wants to stop all religious groups from marrying couples, gay or straight.

Simon Hughes is to meet the UK’s equalities minister, Maria Miller, to discuss whether only civil officials should be allowed to conduct weddings, Gay Star News can reveal.

His bid would take away one of the key privileges of religious bodies including the Church of England which is officially Britain’s state church and is formally headed by Queen Elizabeth.

There’s no doubt 2012 has been a momentous and emotional year for LGBT Scots, as well as an incredibly busy one.

It started off with some sad news for LGBT campaigners not just in Scotland, but across Europe. The death of the former Labour Member of the European Parliament Janey Buchan was a huge loss. Although I never had the chance to meet Janey, her reputation was well known in Scotland as someone who believed strongly in equality for LGBT people the world over.

The Scottish government launched the ‘Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill’, which will introduce marriage equality, yesterday (12 December) alongside a 14-week consultation on its implementation.

The draft legislation will allow same-sex marriage in Scotland and give all religious and belief bodies (for example Humanist) the right to conduct same-sex marriages, if they wish to do so.

The bill will also remove the requirement on a married or civil partnered transgender person to divorce before obtaining full Gender Recognition.

A former Scottish National Party leader has attacked plans to introduce gay marriage, calling the legislation ‘a step towards fascism’.

Gordon Wilson, who led the party from 1979 to 1990, told BBC Scotland the consultation showed the public were not in favor of marriage equality.

He added political correctness was now occupying a position ‘to which it has no right’ and when the state moves into legislating on same-sex marriage it becomes ‘a step towards fascism’.

Britain’s most senior Catholic demanded a referendum on same-sex marriage in a last-minute intervention on the eve of a final decision by the Scottish government.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s intercession comes ahead of the Scottish National Party (SNP) cabinet meeting tomorrow (17 July) to decide whether to introduce a same-sex marriage bill to the Scottish Parliament.

A lesbian couple from Glasgow said ‘I do’ to gay marriage during a mock wedding outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.

Jaye and Ruth Richards-Hill symbolically tied the knot today at Holyrood to call for the legalization of same-sex marriage, as well as allow religious organizations to hold ceremonies if they want to.

Scotland’s ministers will announce the results of a consultation this month, with a finalized bill likely to appear by 2013.

The Scottish government has revealed that it will announce its decision on same-sex marriage on 10 July.

A discussion will take place at the cabinet meeting that day and a decision will be taken on whether or not the Scottish National Party (SNP) administration will propose a change in the law to give same-sex couples equal marriage rights.

The Scottish Parliament is backing the wedding of two gay X-Men characters.

Scottish Labour Party MSP Mary Fee lodged a motion, supported by eight of her colleagues, which states that the parliament welcomes the same-sex marriage of Northstar and Kyle in Marvel Comics’ May issue of the Astonishing X-Men series.

The motion also says that the parliament ‘agrees that same-sex marriage should not be restricted to the world of literature and fantasy’.

Faith groups in Scotland have united in support of gay marriage as Christian opponents launch a new campaign against the plans.

A coalition of faith groups and religious leaders met in Edinburgh today (30 April) to launch a new campaign to lift the ban on religious same-sex marriages in Scotland.

The Faith in Marriage group, which includes the United Reformed Church, the Quakers, Buddhists and the Pagan Federation, handed over an open letter to MSPs demanding the right to conduct same-sex marriages.