scotland to legalize gay marriage

The Scottish government will introduce new powers to legalize same-sex marriages in churches and in civil ceremonies, despite vigorous and bitter opposition from church leaders. The guardian  reported that a draft bill that will enable gay and lesbian couples to marry with the same legal rights as heterosexual couples will be published later this year and is expected to be enacted next year, after Scottish ministers resisted intense pressure from the Catholic church to drop the proposals. The legislation will include significant new protections and "conscience clauses" for churches and individual clergy who object to gay marriage on religious grounds, said Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister