Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, is to make a statement of apology to people convicted in the past under Scotland’s historical discriminatory “homosexual offences” laws. The apology will be made in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday November 7, to coincide with the publication of a bill to give a pardon for such convictions.
Scottish Rugby today signed up as the newest signatory to the Scottish LGBT+ Sports Charter at the home of rugby in Scotland, BT Murrayfield.
Top QC to receive lifetime achievement award at Scotland’s first LGBTI Awards celebrating contributions to equality. In recognition of one of his main achievements, and to mark the 35th anniversary of the decriminalisation of sex between men in Scotland, Derek Ogg QC from Glasgow will receive the Equality Network Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity, launches new Scottish LGBTI Awards. The awards will be held at Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow on Thursday September 10 and will recognise and celebrate those who have made a positive contribution to LGBTI equality and human rights in Scotland over the past year in what has been a milestone for LGBTI rights in Scotland.
Scotland forged ahead of the UK because of their more progressive policies on intersex equality. The Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity, has been rated the best country in Europe for LGBTI legal equality. According to ILGA-Europe’s annual review of LGBTI equality and human rights laws across the continent, published May 10, Scotland now comes ahead of the rest of the UK and Europe in the legal protections offered to LGBTI people.
Sportscotland, Team Scotland, the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Scottish Athletics, and Waterski Scotland are among the first Scottish sports and governing bodies to sign up to the Charter. Last week at the home of Scottish Football, Hampden Park, a new Scottish LGBT Sports Charter was launched with the aim of tackling homophobia and transphobia, and better including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, in Scottish sport.
A new guide to same-sex marriage and civil partnership in Scotland has been launched to highlight the start of Scotland’s equal marriage law. 10,000 copies of the guide have been published by the Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality charity, to explain to same-sex couples how they can register a marriage or civil partnership in Scotland, and to inform LGBTI people about their rights and responsibilities under the new law.
