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Loading...One Year of Same-sex Marriage in Scotland
(Blogmensgo, gay blog of Januar 6, 2016) During the period of December 16, 2014 and September 2015, at total of 1710 same-sex marriages were registered in Scotland. Two thirds of that figure were civil unions (registered partnerships) converted into marriages and one third were newly contracted. Lately, the number of directly and newly contracted marriages has surpassed the number of marriages converted from civil unions.
The latest official figures of the National Records of Scotland only date back to the end of the second quarter 2015. However, the Scottish statistics authority has published an article about same-sex marriages spanning from the entry into force of the respective law on December 16, 2014 until August 31, 2015.
More “real” marriages than conversions from civil unions
As a reminder: Scotland had legalized same-sex marriage via the law of February 4, 2014, which took effect on December 16, 2014. Considering the 14-day marriage banns period in Scotland, the first “new” same-sex marriages were contracted on December 31, 2014. Couples in registered partnerships were allowed to immediately convert them into full marriage beginning on December 16.
In the period from December 16, 2014 until August 31, 2015, 1710 same-sex marriages were contracted, of which 1137 were conversions from registered partnerships and 573 were “new” marriages of non-partnered couples.
No information was given on the percentage of gay and lesbian marriages, nor on the ratio between straight and gay marriages.
4.15% of gay marriages in the 3rd quarter of 2015
The preliminary demographic statistics for the 3rd quarter of 2015 give us a first glimpse: In the period between July 1st and September 30, 2015 there were 475 same-sex marriages out of 11,434 marriages in total, i.e. 4.15%.
Only 8 male and 9 female civil unions were contracted in the same period, which is 123 fewer than in the same period of the preceding year.
Registered partnerships declining strongly
Since the 3rd quarter of 2015, the number of direct gay marriages (265) has surpassed the number of civil unions converted to marriages (210).
The official 2015 statistics on gay marriage in Scotland are not expected before mid-2016 but as it seems, same-sex marriage has already become normality in Scotland.
Frank-S / MensGo
(Via BBC and The Scotsman of December 31, 2015)
