9 July 2012
Last updated at 10:26 ET

Jaye and Ruth Richards-Hill were “married” in a service outside Holyrood

Gay rights campaigners have held a mock wedding outside Holyrood as a sign of support for same sex marriage.

The staged event comes ahead of the Scottish government making its views known on the issue.

Currently the law in Scotland, as in the the rest of the UK, allows civil partnerships between couples of the same sex.

In the Scottish Parliament, the party leaders are united in support of a change to the law.

Although civil partnerships offer the same legal treatment as marriage across a range of matters, such as inheritance, pensions provision, life assurance, child maintenance, next of kin and immigration rights, they are still distinct from marriage.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

All we want is equality; the same rights as everyone else”

End Quote
Jaye and Ruth Richards-Hill
Couple supporting same sex marriage

A man and a woman can opt for a religious or civil marriage ceremony, whereas a same-sex partnership is an exclusively civil procedure.

Outside the Edinburgh parliament, lesbians Jaye and Ruth Richards-Hill took part in a mock wedding conducted by Rev Jane Clarke of the same-sex marriage supporting Metropolitan Community Church.

The couple, who are Christians and were legally married in South Africa, said: “All we want is equality; the same rights as everyone else. The Scottish government must now lift the ban on same-sex marriage, or explain to couples like us why we deserve to be treated like second-class citizens.”

After the ceremony, the women delivered a 10,000-signature petition and letter to First Minister Alex Salmond, urging the government to “announce equal marriage legislation without delay”.

Strong opposition to same-sex

This article originally appeared on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-18766896