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Church of Scotland OK's Gay Clergy in Civil Partnerships

Church of Scotland OK's Gay Clergy in Civil Partnerships

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Delegates to the church's General Assembly in Edinburgh approved the move by a wide margin.

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The Church of Scotland has agreed to ordain ministers who are in same-sex civil partnerships, the BBC reports.

Delegates to the church's General Assembly approved the move by a vote of 309 to 183 today in Edinburgh. The vote followed a period of consultation with the church's presbyteries, which had endorsed the change by a margin of 31 to 14. The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian and, despite its name, is not state-controlled.

This means the church "maintains a traditional view of marriage between a man and woman, but allows individual congregations to 'opt out' if they wish to appoint a minister or a deacon in a same-sex civil partnership," a Church of Scotland spokesman said.

Because the debate over ordaining partnered gay clergy predated the legalization of same-sex marriage in Scotland, which took effect late last year, the General Assembly had to vote first on ordaining ministers in civil partnerships, which were available to same-sex couples before marriage. Thursday, the assembly will consider amending the new policy to include ministers in same-sex marriages.

The church already allowed individual congregations to appoint openly gay clergy, under certain conditions.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.